Parliament accepted changes in the Transport Law under which international transport of children and students was only allowed during the day.

Busses have to be used which are certified under the international classification system for tourism from the International Road Transport Union (IRTU), Focus news agency said.

The Transport Law has been divided in two parts, national and international transport. The texts regarding night transport are the same in both sections.

Fines for drivers transporting children or students during the night have been set at 1000 leva for first time offence and 3000 leva for a repeat offence. Sanctions for those allowing the transport would be set at 10 000 leva.

On September 14 2007 Parliament accepted an amendment to the law which would allow nighttime transport of children and students. A veto from the President Georgi Purvanov was then accepted by Parliament a week later.

The topic is very sensitive after a nighttime accident in 2004 with a bus full of Bulgarian school children, when the bus fell into the Lim River at the border between Serbia and Montenegro, and 10 children drowned.