From 2021, cars undergoing an annual technical inspection will receive new eco-stickers
The Supreme Administrative Court declared car eco-stickers illegal. The court considered that the measure was introduced without financial justification. The decision comes after a wave of dissatisfaction due to higher costs and lack of technical readiness for its implementation.
There are five categories in total into which cars are divided. The least polluting - the fifth category - are hybrid and electric cars. The lowest category (first) is for the most polluting cars - manufactured before 2002. The measure was met with discontent for several reasons: first, it made the annual technical inspection more expensive. Drivers were also dissatisfied with the condition that this sticker be stuck on the windshield, as well as the lack of a reader to read the information about the car.
Now, the magistrates have finally decided that the chip sticker does not meet many requirements.
The Supreme Court claims that the introduction of the new chip stickers for the eco-standard was made without motives and without financial justification. The main question, however, is what the direct result of the court's decision will be. The municipality explained to NOVA that the control of cars in low-emission zones is not based on chip stickers. Instead, the system that the municipality uses is to collect information about the eco-category through the registration numbers of the cars. The question remains open whether the removal of the chips will lead to lower costs during technical inspections.
The Sofia Municipality stated that the system used for control in low-emission zones reads the license plates of the cars, not the chip in the sticker installed during the technical inspection.
According to road safety expert Rumen Dunev, however, the license plate system has weaknesses.
„Any 30-year-old diesel car, if it sticks a handful of mud to the rear license plate, can enter the capital with impunity. Also on days when there is heavy snowfall, fog – conditions in which the camera cannot take a nice and clear picture of the license plate, then these cars are violating the traffic rules“, commented Dunev.
According to the Supreme Administrative Court, the introduction of the new chip stickers was done without motives and is not financially justified. According to lawyer Petar Slavov, the function of the chip is practically nonexistent.
“The sticker in question had an integrated chip in which they recorded the exhaust gases of the car, this thing would be read by some remote readers. Neither readers have been installed, nor does anyone intend to buy such ones”, said Slavov.
The Ministry of Transport stated that according to the court's decision, after a technical inspection, only a certificate of technical fitness will be issued. But not a sign in which the environmental group is reflected. They specify that the designation of the eco-group is not eliminated as a requirement.
“That is, there will be a certain new format of the sticker in question, which I hope will be significantly smaller in size, not cost as much as it currently costs with chips“, commented Petar Slavov.