site.btaSofia Makes Trams "Absolute Priority"

Trams are becoming an absolute priority in Sofia's transport, municipal councilor Boris Bonev of the Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (Save Sofia) coalition said here Friday. He was speaking at a news press conference held jointly with the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Ilian Pavlov, and municipal councilors Simeon Stavrev and Dimitar Petrov, where they presented what has been done and is being planned for Sofia's public transport by the new leadership of the municipality. 

According to Bonev, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev is very much supportive of making trams "an absolute priority for Sofia's transport". 

Trams are experiencing a renaissance everywhere in Europe and globally, while in Sofia no new tram routes are opened and existing ones are being closed, added the municipal councilor. 

He went on to list several projects for extension and renovation of streets and tram lines in the city, including 2 km of a brand new tram route.

Tram ring

Bonev also said that the biggest priority of Sofia's transport in general after the completion of the ten metro stations that are under construction, is to start building a tramway ring crossing several of Sofia's southern and eastern boroughs. Studies have shown that this will be the busiest tram line in Sofia: fast, with priority at intersections and serving over 60,000 passengers a day. 

The ambition is to have the first sod for the project turned in the middle of the term of this administration and at least one section completed by the end of the term. 

New speed cameras

Bonev also said that 12 new speed cameras are to be mounted across the city.

"Sofia one of the cities with the worst traffic safety record. "Improving road safety often involves measures that are not very popular - such as the construction of islands that narrow lanes, for which they are despised by motorists. But they also lower the speed of traffic - and hence the risk of road accidents," Bonev stressed.

More police needed

Bonev informed that last week Mayor Terziev, councilor Ilian Pavlov and himself met with the Minister of the Interior to discuss the need for more stationary and mobile speed cameras and for "many more police teams" on the territory of Sofia. "A city of one and a half million people can hardly be controlled with so few police patrols," said Bonev. 

New car parks

Bonev underscored the complex procedure involved in designing and building new parking lots. "Since the beginning of the mandate we have reviewed 300 properties in the Sofia boroughs and analyzed their suitability for parking lots," said Bonev. Of these, 15 sites were found to be suitable and design procedures for them are already being prepared.

The City Hall has secured BGN 400,000 from the Regional Development Ministry's Urban Investment Programme for the design of the first seven of these 15 car parks, said Bonev. "Our ambition is that by this time next year at least the first of these neighbourhood car parks will be in the construction phase. We are talking about the Mladost, Lyulin, Obelia and Ovcha Kupel neighborhoods," he said.

Meanwhile, buffer parking lots are being built.