Last week, representatives of various political groups from the Metropolitan Municipal Council visited all the divisions of the public transport companies and got to know personally the working conditions there.
The service of the garage “Druzhba“ works without a ventilation system, the fitters there, apart from standing in the cold in winter, swallow the dust and exhaust fumes from the buses being repaired all year round.
In a garage “Earth“ we saw brand new buses 5-6 years old, but they were used as donors for parts for other buses to ensure the transport task. New buses are rejected due to lack of spare parts!
This was pointed out by the municipal councilor Vanya Grigorova.
Most of the sanitary facilities have rusty stools, and the sinks are an expression of the technical genius of those working there to have access to running water at all. At one of the meetings, an employee explained that due to three operations on his leg, he could not use the available toilets and had to walk home! Bathrooms with a broken roof, leaking roofs in almost all units, buildings that have not been renovated for decades – it is part of the dramatic picture in Metropolitan City Transport. Vatmans, which work in summer at 50 degrees temperature, and in winter at 10.
Severe staff shortages are the result of both low pay and the lack of a bonus system, as well as appalling working conditions, which are often worse than prisons. Against this background, the unstable political situation allows the finance ministers from Asen Vassilev onward to deceive the Capital Municipality that they will transfer additional funds, and not to do so. BGN 30 million is owed by the state budget only to the SO for social commitments to issue preferential cards for children, students, pensioners, etc. groups of citizens. About 3 million is the underfunding of transport in Burgas. The underfunding of the public sector is widespread throughout the country. Should public companies go bankrupt so that our political elite can finally behave nationally responsibly and pay their debts to the municipalities?!
Meanwhile, the managers of the Capital Municipality, who came with the categorical requests that they have both ready-made teams and ready-made solutions to accumulated problems, refuse to update the municipality's budget so that the funds lying in the accounts are used rationally. Over BGN 8 million are the liabilities of only “Stolichen autotransport“ EAD to fuel suppliers. Over BGN 14 million is needed for basic repairs to improve working conditions again in this company alone.
If only it were the transport. Buildings of municipal hospitals and DCCs are severely compromised, but there are no funds for repairs. A crèche in Krasna Polyana is collapsing, and the falling parts of the building and the compromised pavement threaten the lives and health of children, parents and employees. A municipal hospital has been waiting for funds for a year to pay for a subscription station, without which mothers and newborns will be left out in the cold.
And the leadership of the Metropolitan Municipality closes its eyes tightly so as not to see the reality and not have to take measures. The mayor respects sports and cultural events with his presence, publishes smiling photos from them. But he does not find time to meet with representatives of the unions to discuss together the bonus system already agreed at the working group level for those employed in transport. This is nothing but populism and hypocrisy. This is not what he promised in his election campaign. These are not the solutions he promised the people of Sofia and they expect from him.
In the event that Mr. Terziev and the Deputy Mayor for Finance, Mr. Vasilev, continue to neglect the needs of municipal companies, they should be aware that social tension will grow. And if in the first act of the play he allowed a gun to hang on the wall, then it will certainly explode by the end of the performance.