“We need to take a comprehensive view of transport issues and not work in isolation.” This was stated by Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev during a rapid question-and-answer session of the Committee on Transport and Communications in the National Assembly. He answered questions related to road safety, rail transport, the condition of state transport companies, the implementation of projects under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and legislative initiatives in the sector.
In response to a question about the crash on the Trakia Motorway on 24 June, the Minister said that an investigation is underway, covering both the carrier and the truck involved, as well as the actions of officials from the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration”, who carried out the control inspections. “There will be no tolerance for violations, including when carrying out technical inspections and issuing licenses. After the inspection is completed, the results will be publicly announced,” Georgi Peev said.
He emphasized that road safety requires a comprehensive approach and that the Ministry of Transport and Communications is compiling all submitted proposals for improving driver training and increasing traffic safety. Among the measures discussed is the restoration of training on driving grounds at the initial stage of the training of young drivers.
Regarding rail transport, Georgi Peev pointed out that the sector remains the biggest challenge for the transport system. According to him, the shortage of rolling stock, outdated carriages and staffing problems have accumulated over the years and cannot be solved through isolated measures. He informed that the repairs of the available carriages continue, and the new rolling stock will be put into operation after passing all the necessary tests.
Minister Peev also announced that the results of the audits at the NRIC and Bulgarian Posts are expected by the end of July, after which specific restructuring measures will be presented. According to him, the financial difficulties of Bulgarian Posts are the result of management problems accumulated over the years and require a comprehensive approach to stabilize the company.
In connection with the incident involving an attraction on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Georgi Peev clarified that the accident occurred while using an unregulated facility that operated in violation of regulatory requirements.
On the topic of the project for large-scale deployment of digital infrastructure under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Minister of Transport announced that he had ordered a detailed review of its implementation, and in addition to the documentary inspection, an independent technical audit will be carried out on-site to determine whether the built infrastructure is actually operational and providing services to citizens.
The Minister also emphasized that in preparing the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, priority is given to projects related to safety and to sites that risk losing European funding. According to him, an additional inspection will be carried out on the specific estimates under the capital program of the NRIC.
During the rapid question-and-answer session, Georgi Peev also announced that various opportunities for the development of Plovdiv Airport are being analysed, and that the legislative changes for the introduction of the European requirements under the Mobility Package are almost ready. He emphasized that the texts are being prepared in an active dialogue with industry representatives in order to avoid a criminal procedure against Bulgaria and financial sanctions.