Bulgaria plans single e-ticket under new transport law

Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry has introduced draft legislation establishing unified electronic ticketing across rail, bus, aviation and maritime services. Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov explained that the framework will eliminate multiple separate purchases while enabling seamless door-to-door journeys through compatible validation systems and automated revenue distribution among carriers.

The proposed regulations mandate the creation of a National Transport Scheme coordinating timetables to minimize passenger wait times, with requirements for at least three daily connections serving every municipality. A centralized digital platform will aggregate real-time schedules and route information from all operators, who must supply updated data without charge under European standards.

Implementation includes intelligent management systems providing authorities with instant traffic visibility for subsidy calculations and contract oversight. Institutions awarding public transport agreements face seven-day deadlines for submitting operational information to national databases supporting the clearing mechanism that allocates ticket proceeds fairly among participating companies.