site.btaBulgarian Socialist Party Demands Independent Technical Expert Examination of Main Roads

116 POLITICS - TRANSPORT - ROAD SAFETY - BSP

Bulgarian Socialist Party
Demands Independent Technical
Expert Examination of Main Roads


Sofia, November 6 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) approached the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) with a demand for an independent technical expert examination of the Trakia, Hemus, Struma and Maritsa motorways, of the Sofia Ring Road, and of the Vidin-Kulata road.

BSP for Bulgaria Parliamentary Group Spokesperson Elena Yoncheva specified to journalists that the BSP insists on the examination to be carried out by an independent European licensed laboratory. The idea is to obtain vertical drill cores to show the thickness and composition of the layers. The results of these tests should then be checked against the initial designs for the section concerned.

"We want to find out whether Bulgarian motorways are siphoned off," Yoncheva said, adding that they hope to get RIA's approval for such an examination which will not require public funding.

"This examination by no means discredits our builders and engineers," Yoncheva commented, noting that this is the only way to protect them.

There is reason to presume that a big part of the money paid for public procurement contracts goes back to the government instead of being invested in the roads, Yoncheva argued. She said BSP suspects that builders and engineers are forced to compromise in order to be awarded a contract.

In her words, the examination they want is a small step against the system that kills people, especially after the accident near Svoge. She was referring to a bus crash near Svoge (Northwestern Bulgaria) on August 25, in which 18 people were killed and another 20 were injured.

Yoncheva called for the government's support to clear Bulgaria's name. LY/TH
/TH/