The authorities’ decision to keep the toll at its current level is stated in an official document registered at the end of last year, just as Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov announced, after a visit to Romania, that he received assurance that the Romanian government was preparing to reduce the bridge toll.
Last summer, the Bulgarian government lowered the toll for vehicles crossing from Ruse to Giurgiu from 12 leva (EUR6) to 4 leva (EUR4). The toll for vehicles crossing from Romania has remained the same, however, the equivalent of EUR6.
The document says Romanian authorities have no plans to lower the toll in the near future, despite Djankov’s optimistic statement, arguing that the income from the toll is needed for infrastructure projects, and to guarantee and repay domestic and foreign loans taken for these projects.
In the spring of 2010, the heads of the two states’ Governments announced they were considering eliminating the toll over the Giurgiu- Ruse bridge in a number of stages. So far, only Bulgaria has lowered the toll, to encourage tourist arrivals from Romania.
The bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse is currently the only bridge over the Danube on the Romanian- Bulgarian border; around 900 vehicles travel over it each day.
In 2000, Romania and Bulgaria signed an agreement to build a second bridge, between Calafat and Vidin, but the project has been delayed because of funding issues, with Bulgarian officials criticizing their Romanian partners several times for their lack of commitment.