site.btaDanubian City of Ruse Bans Park Pints

The Ruse Municipal Council on Thursday banned drinking alcohol outdoors at all times. The ban applies to streets, sidewalks, squares, parks and gardens, inter-block spaces, gazebos, school yards, nurseries and kindergartens.

Exceptions are restaurants, fast food establishments, drinking establishments, coffee shops and bars, with outdoor areas, as well as organized and authorized celebrations, gatherings and other mass events.

Violations will be fined BGN 200. The fine for a repeat violation is BGN 500.

The proposal was tabled by VMRO - Bulgaria of the Regions and was adopted with 28 votes "for" and six votes "against", with eight councilors abstaining. Municipal Councilor Ivo Pazardzhiev presented the proposal and noted that there was already such a ban, but it only applied to the dark part of the day.

He said that he had received numerous tipoffs about several locations in the city where people gather and drink alcohol outdoors and disturb public order. "This ban is in the interest of the image of our city and its youth," Pazardzhiev argued.