Transport

We will reach 8.4 million passengers in Sofia by the end of the year

Direct links with the USA will open new markets for the Bulgarian tourism product, facilitate business contacts, and enhance cultural exchange. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov during the national discussion "Tourism and Air Connectivity. Traditional Destinations and New Markets. The Key to Sustainable Growth."

In connection with the severe road incident from last night, in which three people died, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov ordered a full inspection of the training and exam of the young driver who caused the crash.

The inspection is being carried out by the The Executive Agency "Automobile Administration", and all available data and recordings from the driver candidate training system, as well as recordings from the driver's theoretical and practical exams, will be reviewed.

Bulgaria, Türkiye, and Romania will work together to develop new road and rail connections to ease the growing traffic between the three countries and to strengthen the region’s role as a key logistics corridor linking Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus.

This became clear during a trilateral meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and Romanian State Secretary for Transport Horatiu Cosma, held yesterday.

A concession is a partnership between the state or municipalities and the private sector for building infrastructure, without burdening public budgets. With these words, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov addressed the participants in the annual meeting of the National Association of Municipalities (NAM), which is being held in Albena.

The rescue operation in the Black Sea was successfully completed with the rescue of the entire crew of the cargo ship EILEEN. The operation was conducted by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Varna, and the quick and effective response ensured the safety of the sailors.

At 13:14 today, a signal was received at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) – Varna for a cargo ship with a hole in the board and incoming water. The ship EILEEN flies the Cameroonian flag and is located in the Bulgarian marine search and rescue region, about 140 nautical miles east of Varna. The crew of 10 Ukrainian sailors had left the ship on two lifeboats.

Immediately after receiving the signal, the MRCC launched a rescue operation.

The Ministry of Transportation is introducing changes that will make it easier for drivers and reduce administrative burdens

The stickers for the technical inspection of the cars will be replaced by their electronic analogue. The Ministry of Transport and Communications proposes switching entirely to electronic documents that certify the roadworthiness of road vehicles.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov held a meeting today with the entire leadership of the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration”. “We all must apologize to foreign drivers who were extorted in an extremely ugly manner by inspectors of the Automobile Administration. They came to Bulgaria to do their job, and encountered corruption and racketeering. This is unacceptable. We should also apologize to the Bulgarian citizens, because Bulgaria’s name was involved in this scandal,” he stated.

The construction of the Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo Motorway is gradually accelerating, and BGN 300 million are expected to be paid to the Road Infrastructure Agency by the end of the year under the Transport Connectivity Programme 2021-2027. This became clear during an information event about the project, which was held in the town of Byala. 

Bulgaria and Montenegro set up a working group to prepare an air service between the two capitals

Sofia and Podgorica are launching joint actions to open a direct airline. This was agreed with the signing of a declaration on cooperation in the field of air transport between the transport ministers of Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Deputy Prime Minister Karadzhov: Rapid response and good coordination between institutions prevented the fire from spreading

The withdrawal of 22 tanks from the cargo composition began, which derailed early this morning near the village of Pyasachevo. At the same time, burnt tanks are also being removed.

I am extremely outraged by the unacceptable behaviour of the employee of the ground handling operator “Goldair Handling Bulgaria” during yesterday’s luggage dispute involving a passenger of “Ryanair”. Instead of making efforts to defuse tensions during these peak travel months, he contributed to the escalation of emotions and behaved rudely towards her. Before noon today, I instructed the Directorate General “Civil Aviation Administration” to review the CCTV recordings and to conduct interviews with witnesses to the incident and with representatives of the Border Police.

“We must act swiftly to increase the capacity of the rail and road connections between Bulgaria and Turkey—both to enable people to travel more easily and quickly, and to ease the heavy freight traffic coming from Istanbul. Northbound freight will be able to enter Bulgaria via a high-speed road at Malko Tarnovo, and by rail at Lesovo. Bulgaria plans to grant a concession for the construction of the “Black Sea” motorway, along with two extensions: a four-lane road north of Varna to the Romanian border, and another of the same profile south of Burgas to Malko Tarnovo.

Three new railway connections through the Balkan Mountains are set to transform the transport landscape of Northern Bulgaria. The proposed routes – Stolnik–Mezdra, Hristo Danovo–Troyan, and a passage through the Hainboaz Pass – will be proposed for development under the provisions of the Concessions Act. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Communications, Mr Grozdan Karadjov, during the forum “Northern Bulgaria – Restart and Achievable Goals”, held today in Veliko Tarnovo and organised by “24 Chasa” newspaper.

Competition can deliver better quality services, and public-private partnerships yield tangible results. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov during the “Green Transition Forum 5.0.” “At present, 15 port terminals, four out of five airports, and one intermodal terminal in Bulgaria are under concession agreements and we are actively expanding this model. One of the successful examples, Sofia Airport, will resume concession fee payments starting next year,” he added.

Bulgaria is reviewing the European Commission's proposals under the Vehicle Technical Roadworthiness Package primarily through the lens of road safety and expects this focus to be maintained in the future. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadjov, during a meeting of the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, held in Luxembourg. 

The preparation of "Bulgarian Posts" employees for their social role in the exchange of levs into euros, as well as the possibilities for digital training of the staff at the state-owned company, were discussed today during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadjov, and the President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), Plamen Dimitrov. Plans for the future logistics are already being coordinated with the Bulgarian National Bank.

The East to West Connections project was officially launched today in Burgas. During the ceremony, Angel Zaburtov, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, stated that the implementation of the project highlights the successful partnership between the state and the private sector. “With our joint efforts, we will achieve economic growth and strategic strengthening of Burgas as a key transport hub on the world map,” he added.

80% of railway incidents are due to subjective factors and weak control.

Cameras will be installed in every locomotive, railcar, and railway station.

Additional functionality will be added to the GPS train speed control system, notifying carriers and train dispatchers of speeding. Mobile GSM operators will be required to increase transmitter coverage in areas with weak signal.

These are some of the short-term measures to be implemented within 6 months to improve railway transport safety.

The project will improve connectivity in 140 municipalities and 16 border crossings

Nearly half a billion BGN will be invested in 5G connectivity by the middle of next year. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov at a forum of “The Economist” magazine dedicated to the development of the Bulgarian economy.