„Megareform“ or a media bubble? Why is the Prime Minister silent about the essence of the road safety plan. This is what the Institute for Road Safety asks and comments:
Bulgarian society witnessed another loudly recited speech. The Prime Minister announced the creation of a „megastructure“ and „unified control body“ for road safety.
The truth behind the words: There is no new megastructure. There is no real unified body.
What is presented as a „revolution“ is simply a mechanical division of the National Toll Administration between two ministries (Ministry of Interior and MTS). Transferring officials and computers from one building to another does not save human lives on the road.
The Great Silence: Where is the Real Reform?
In the Action Plan provided, the real change is recorded in point:
1.1: The State Agency for Road Traffic Safety (SARTD) should grow from a coordinating body into a proactive and controlling structure.
SARTD should manage risk and oblige departments to implement specific measures.
Public resources should be invested only where the risk is highest, based on real data.
Why is the Prime Minister silent about this?
Why is the rearrangement of administrative cubes being promoted to the media, while the fundamental change in philosophy is being avoided – from uncontrolled spending to risk management?
The fact that the Prime Minister announces bureaucratic restructuring instead of the actual reform raises strong doubts that this action plan is even intended to be implemented.
The three fundamental shortcomings in the government's plan
The Road Safety Institute categorically states that the plan suffers from critical shortcomings that doom it to failure:
1. NO CLEAR RESULTS: It is not stated what exactly is being aimed at - by what percentage the number of deaths and injuries on the road will decrease.
2. NO TIME LIMITS: It is not clear when in time these measures are expected to have a real effect.
3. NO RESPONSIBILITY (The most important omission!): Once again, it is not stated WHO bears personal and institutional responsibility for the implementation of the plan and for road safety in Bulgaria.
Transferring officials DOES NOT stop accidents!
Moving an employee from one department to another:
DOES NOT reduce speed;
DOES NOT stop drunk and drugged drivers;
DOES NOT make dangerous areas safer;
DOES NOT make the data from the cameras reliable.
Our conclusion:
Road safety – turned into a fine machine
Behind the so-called “megareform“ clearly shows the government's true understanding of road safety: it is not seen as a system to save lives, but as a tool for higher collection, more cameras and more fines.