Agency “Road Infrastructure” (API), which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRRD), is subject to sharp criticism by the “Road Safety Institute”. In an open letter addressed to Acting Minister Violeta Koritarova, the institute expresses serious concerns about the lack of transparency in spending the funds intended for maintenance and repair of the republican road network (RPM) in 2023.
This is stated in an open letter to the official Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Violeta Koritarova from the Road Safety Institute (IPB).
According to the letter, in the past year, about two billion BGN were spent on road maintenance, but the information about the exact costs and assignments remains hidden. In his address on August 27, 2024, the President of API refused to provide the requested data, continuing the practice of previous heads of the agency to hide this information, which is of public interest.
The Institute for Road Safety receives daily reports of lack of maintenance of the road network or of poor quality repair works. The organization emphasizes that API's refusal to provide access to sensitive information hinders civil control and creates conditions for corruption in the management of road maintenance funds.
The Institute issues a serious warning to Minister Koritarova, insisting on an inspection of the activities of the API and public disclosure of all assignments related to the repair and maintenance of the republican road network. “Do not be an accomplice in the vicious practices of spending public resources”, the letter says, also emphasizing that hundreds of Bulgarian citizens lose their lives every year on the country's dangerous roads.
The Institute for Road Safety categorically states that it will continue to oppose the corruption processes in the Ministry of Road Safety, which, according to them, lead to a serious breakdown of the road infrastructure in Bulgaria.