Boris Bonev will consider in the coming months whether to run for mayor of Sofia. In front of BTV, the leader of "Save Sofia" and a municipal councilor said that as the chairman of a party focused on the capital, he is among the potential candidates.
“This decision will be made in the coming months – calmly, wisely“, said Bonev. He said that he is not dependent on anyone and added that the political attacks against him show concern about the possibility of joining the mayoral race.
Bonev said that "Save Sofia" works well with the municipal councilors from the PP-DB, but there is a lack of sufficient reciprocity between them. After the party's national conference, the main priorities were outlined as the fight against corruption and the implementation of election promises.
Criticism of the bicycle infrastructure
According to Bonev, Sofia is not a safe city for cycling and does not have the necessary infrastructure for cyclists. He pointed out that the municipality should provide bicycle routes in parks, instead of putting citizens in a situation where they can formally be fined for riding.
“This case should have been resolved in the first year of Mayor Vasil Terziev's administration“, said Bonev. According to him, the construction of such routes was included in the mayor's program, and “Save Sofia“ has prepared its own projects, but has not had the authority to implement them.
The Sofia Municipality is insisting that the state provide 12.5 km of bicycle infrastructure when building the Sofia Ring Road. The proposal covers 13 key intersections and aims to connect existing and planned bicycle routes.
Bonev described as “strange and absurd” the idea of the municipality asking the state to build bicycle lanes on the ring road. According to him, the problem is not only the lack of funds, but also the transfer of responsibility between institutions.