Many school buses in Bulgaria do not meet technical safety standards and their drivers lack proper documentation, a probe by the Interior Ministry has established, Bulgarian National Television reported on May 31 2010.

Nearly 10 per cent of all school buses in the country are sub-standard, the executive agency within the Automobile Administration said after a two-month investigation. Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov said that during the probe all school buses had been checked and many of them were found to be unsafe.

Moreover, the investigation concluded that the school administration had no clear idea what exactly to demand of the transport companies who provide this service. Many vehicles, officially registered for seven-plus-one capacity, were said to have had their capacity subsequently increased, which, of course, was done illegally. Many others reportedly had worn out tyres and the vehicles themselves were found to be unsafe and dilapidated.

Authorities said that 109 fines had been issued, while 10 vehicles were ordered decommissioned from service.

About 2000 buses are registered nationwide, transporting children to 1181 schools daily.

Later, on May 31, official results from the investigation will be made available, BNT said. The drivers themselves have also been subjected to meticulous checks to determine if they are qualified for the job, the report said.

In one particular example, on the first day of the investigation which was launched two months ago, all five buses ferrying children to and from the Erich Kastner school in Sofia were found to have technical and safety shortcomings.

One of the drivers, when pulled over by police, attempted to escape. When the police patrol eventually caught him, he said that he had simply wanted to get some breakfast. Additionally, he had not deposited the students in front of the school yard, as regulations required, but "somewhere around the school". Both the bus and the driver lacked legitimate documentation, and while the vehicle had capacity for eight seats, police found that 18 pupils were crammed inside.

For violations on this scale, the fine is 6000 leva. An amendment to transport legislation is being contemplated which, if enacted, will see such vehicles impounded for six months, and, in the case of a second offence, barred for 12 months.