Bulgaria to change driving licence test system after probe finds corruption
From 2014, candidates for driving licences in Bulgaria will do theory tests on tablets instead of paper, a change to be introduced after an investigation found corruption at the regional office of the Road Administration Agency in Sofia.
This was announced by the head of the Road Administration Agency, Dimitar Ganev.
He told a news conference that an investigation of 19 employees, including the head of the office, had established that all of them were involved in unlawful manipulation of driving licence theoretical tests.
Practices included unsealing examination envelopes and placing forms in them with the correct answers already filled.
Where tablets are already in use, only one case of fraud was detected, when it was established that a driving licence candidate had a miniature camera in his shirt which relayed the questions while a miniature earpiece relayed the answers.
The price tag for the service was about 1000 leva (about 500 euro) a person.
It was also found that not only had candidates for licences to drive light passenger cars passed their tests in this way, but also drivers of buses and lorries.
At least 80 private driving schools were involved in the corruption, Ganev said.
It was not known how long the scheme had been operational and how many people had paid to pass the theory test.
(Photo: speedinelly)
