site.btaCabinet Plans to Introduce Public Electronic Register of Attraction Services, Inspections, Penalties for Violations

The Government plans to create a public electronic register of all amusement and attraction services, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov said at the beginning of the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday. He explained the main proposals in the draft bill, which aims to introduce regulations following the tragic accident in which an eight-year-old child died while parasailing in Nessebar.

The new register will be maintained by the Ministry of Tourism, Karadjov said.

The proposals also provide for: professional liability insurance for each location offering amusement and attraction services, an attraction safety plan and a person responsible for safety, a contract with an accredited inspection body.

Operators should also follow general safety rules, including mandatory daily and annual inspections of the facilities, which are recorded in a special logbook that must be kept on site and available for inspection, Minister Grozdan Karadjov explained. He added that training and a mandatory informed consent declaration are also planned, as well as penalties for violations.

In case of risk, the facilities will be shut down immediately, Karadjov stressed. The proposed changes also include a ban on persons without a captain's license and under the age of 18 from driving jet skis.

The bill is to be submitted for public discussion. The Minister of Transport and Communications emphasized to Prime Minister Zhelyazkov that another week is needed to refine some of the text.

The bill was prompted by a parasailing incident in Nessebar, in which an eight-year-old child died on August 18.