Doubts about the certification and quality of crash barriers on Bulgarian roads were expressed by the Chairman of the Management Board of the Scientific and Technical Union for Transport Yasen Ishev and the Director of the Institute for Transport Infrastructure Dr. Eng. Hristo Grozdanov. On the air of NOVA NEWS, the two raised questions about the testing of safety systems, control during their installation and competition between manufacturers.
“The crash barriers used on Bulgarian roads are not certified and have not passed the necessary crash tests“, the experts said.
According to Grozdanov, some of the road safety systems used in our country have not been tested in Bulgaria. He also raised the question of the extent to which Bulgarian legislation requires the certification of these safety fences and systems.
“I assume that the people who produce the guardrails use the crash tests that are certified in the West“, commented Ishev.
According to him, on-site inspections can establish whether the requirements set out in the regulations are being met. The control should cover both the installation and the characteristics of the materials used.
“You can see how deep the stakes themselves are driven. The thicknesses can also be checked on the metal rail itself. The quality of the steel could also be checked“, Ishev explained.
He also expressed doubts about the existence of sufficient competition between the manufacturers of guardrails in Bulgaria.
“I believe that the four companies in our country have organized a monopoly and it is these four companies that do not allow other, more modern road systems to be introduced in Bulgaria“, Ishev stated.
Grozdanov also took the position that limited competition can negatively affect quality.
“The less competition there is in a sector, the lower the quality. When the market is monopolized, it is normal for the quality to be lower“, he said.
Ishev also commented on the use of concrete dividing systems, known as “jerseys“. According to him, they have advantages and influence the behavior of drivers.
„I think the jerseys are much better. They psychologically influence drivers to be more attentive and concentrated“, he pointed out.
Decisions on road safety systems should be based on expert assessments, Grozdanov emphasized.
„We need to get rid of lobbying as soon as possible and start making decisions based on actual expert assessments“, said the director of the Institute for Transport Infrastructure.