Many discussions took place in the Metropolitan Municipal Council after there was a proposal to replace the directors of municipal companies. Are the people who won the elections in Sofia with the slogan that they will change the model, defending the status quo… Municipal councilor from VMRO Carlos Contrera spoke to FAKTI.
- Mr. Contrera, you submitted a proposal to change the heads of six municipal companies. Why now and what is the goal?
- The goal is to change the course of work. There are things, especially in transport and “Heating”, that need a new approach. The mandates of the management have expired, some of the people remain, of course. The court confirmed the legality of the decision, so Terziev and company again spoke unprepared, like complete laymen. The PP-DB-SS wanted to use the old manuals as a punching bag and a universal justification for their own incompetence. To some extent, with the change of management, we gave a chance for these people to appear in the contests without being masked. The tactic of the PP-DB-SS is very simple - you hold some leaders in the air, harass them, make excuses with them, in the end you smear them and these people come out of the situation compromised and without an opportunity to protect their reputation... I don't know why exactly &ldquo ;the change” voted against the change, i.e. voted to keep the old staff of GERB. Who is defending the status quo now?
- Among these directors is Prof. Stoyan Bratoev – the head of the metropolitan “Metropolitan”. The man who built the subway. Are you making a fresh start, or is it time for a change?
- Professor Bratoev has made his key and irrevocable contribution to the construction of the subway system. However, many people, many decisions, many efforts are behind the development of the metro network. No one denies personal merits, but the subway as a system is the result of a systemic policy of a municipality, municipal council, and state. It is time for new approaches and a new beginning, which does not exclude Professor Bratoev.
- What problems are there in transport in Sofia…
- Transport in Sofia is in a technological dysfunction because of the wrong decisions of Terziev, his team, the PP-DB-SS group and above all because of "Save Sofia", who command the "Transport and Urban Mobility" department in the municipality.
The system is underfunded, there are no parts to repair and maintain the buses, there is a lack of drivers and service personnel.
This is a consequence of the wrong and bad economic framework of the transport, stubbornly accepted by the PP-DB-SS under pressure especially from "Save Sofia". Difficulties will soon begin with the payment of salaries in transport. Late summer until autumn, there will be intervals of 30-40-50-60 minutes on city lines, because there are no buses, and there are no drivers.
At some point, given lines will literally stop.
I warn from the summer of 2023 that such a scenario is being entered into. Has anyone heard me since then? No. Now we will have to put out fires on the go... “The Change” proved to be absolutely unprepared in all management matters.
- Is there guaranteed funding for public transport in Sofia?
- There is no. There is a wrong economic framework that does not guarantee the normal functioning of urban transport. For January-April 2024 has outstanding 300,000 km. mileage only in bus transport. These are data from the CGM from an official letter. This means that the citizens were hanging at the stops for 20-30-40-50 minutes.
This means that some of the buses and trolleybuses on some lines have not left at all.
According to the data, at the moment the municipality will not absorb at least BGN 12.5 million from the state subsidy for preferential cards. At the end of the year, we will probably reach BGN 20-25 million hole from there alone. March 2024 I warned that this would happen, then the “saviors“ they laughed at me, and the CGM covered up their blunders. They rejected my proposals then, now the whole city will suffer. But that money is missing. A transport collapse is set for autumn-winter because of the stupid policy of the Metropolitan Municipality.
- Salaries are delayed at the Center for Urban Mobility (CMG) because…
- CGM does not delay salaries, but CGM delays payments to operators, which delays the payment of salaries in these companies - motor transport, electric transport. One of the reasons is that the Municipality of Sofia does not transfer the money to the Central Committee on time. In this case, the main culprit is Terziev and his inept "team". I will say again - if the financial framework of transport is not updated, autumn-winter will have huge problems with traffic intervals, which can become double and triple.
- What is happening with the organization of traffic along “Patriarch Euthymius“ Blvd.?
- An illegal thing continues to sit.
- As an excuse after the court decision, we heard that the omission was that there was no master plan. And if there is no master plan, how are changes made…
- It is not at all clear what is happening with the case involving the Patriarch and Vitoshka. Something illegal continues to sit there. I say something because on the one hand the court stopped it because it is illegal, on the other hand the mayor does not return the old organization to traffic.
This is both illegal and sits as a symbol of municipal stupidity and simplicity...
The situation is insane. We will probably have to find a mechanism for the SOS to intervene in the fall, and lawyers are currently studying the legal methods. Terziev and his team lead us from case to case, more and more absurd. Such a miracle has never happened in Sofia...
There is a decision of the SOS from the summer of last year to assign a task for a general plan for the organization of traffic. Terziev to say why he does not implement it!