Interview to the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications – Bulgaria
The public involvement has been determinant in recent years
for the infrastructure development in Bulgaria. In the light of
present global economic crisis and of the difficulties to quickly
restart secure economic growth, which are the main priorities the
Government intends to focus its attention on in the mid-term for
the further implementation of the objectives foreseen by the
Strategy Development Plan for Transport?
In order to achieve higher efficiency of
the transport sector performance, observing the principles of its
sustainable, safe and secure development and in accordance with the
consumers' requirements, the Ministry of Transport, Information
Technology and Communications elaborated a Strategy for the
Development of the Transport System of the Republic of Bulgaria
till 2020.
The mission of the Bulgarian transport sector is to achieve a
fully integrated, competitive and sustainable transport system that
meets the economic, social and environmental needs of the society.
In that respect, we have defined our main goals and priorities for
the next 10-year period (till 2020). The national transport policy
priorities are as follows:
- Efficient maintenance, modernisation and development of the
transport infrastructure
- Sufficient financing for transport sector development and
performance. Efficient absorption of the EU funds
- Provision of transparent and harmonised competitive business
environment of the transport market
- Reduction of the transport sector negative impact on the
environment and human health
- Safety and security of the transport system
- Provision of high-quality and accessible transport in all
regions of the country
- Sustainable development of urban passenger transport.
By fulfillment of these priorities, the Ministry of Transport,
Information Technology and Communications intends to achieve in
2020 a modern, safe and secure transport system, providing
high-quality transport infrastructure and services to the
society.
After the Bulgaria 2007 integration, the country has turned
to be a crossroads of the TEN-T network in the South-Eastern part
of the Europe; how this would contribute to better regional
cohesion and easier integration into the European transport system
for close non-EU countries?
From a geo-strategic point of view the Republic of Bulgaria has
a favourable geographical location that provides a great
opportunity for its transformation into a transport bridge between
Western and Central European countries, the Middle East, Western
and Central Asia, as well as along the North-South direction. To a
great extent this pre-determines the potential function of Bulgaria
from the transport point of view as a transit country between the
countries rich in natural resources, from the Middle East, Northern
Africa, Western and Middle Asia from one side, and the economically
and industrially strong Western and Central European countries from
another.
The existing transport infrastructure is relatively
well-developed - there are over 19.000 km. roads, 6.000 km.
railways, sea ports, river ports and airports, with links between
the ports and the national road and railway network.
Having in mind all this, we could say that the location of
Bulgaria is a prerequisite for the better regional cohesion and for
the facilitation of the integration o non-EU countries into the
European transport system.
Which is for Bulgaria the present demand for a domestic
modern transport river system so to conform to European inland
transport system?
The project related to the elaboration of the river information
system in the Bulgarian part of the Danube River -
BULRIS, is part of the European navigation and
information system which aims at achieving an efficient, safe and
secure sailing through the inland waterways. The first phase of the
BULRIS project should be implemented in the period 2007 - 2011.
That phase includes pre-feasibility studies, system design,
elaboration of a tender dossier and tendering procedures for the
construction of the basic infrastructure of the river information
system. The contract for the implementation of the first phase of
the project was signed in May 2010 and amounts at about € 7
M.