site.btaPleven Residents Stage Protest over Road Safety Issues

People in Pleven held a two-hour protest on Friday against what they say is a poor condition of roads in Bulgaria. Hundreds gathered in front of the local Palace of Justice to also voice their discontent with frequent violations of traffic rules and speed limits.

The demonstration came after a 12-year-old girl was seriously injured in a traffic accident between Radomirtsi and Telish in Pleven Region on March 31 and died in hospital the next day.

According to the protesters, fatal traffic accidents are partly to blame on the relevant institutions.

Demonstrators blocked the intersection between City Hall and the Court House. Speakers shared their opinion about the road safety situation and proposed solutions to the problem of high traffic death rates. Some took the opportunity to raise other issues of current importance such as cleaning services and the water shortage plaguing the 100,000-population city. Particular road accidents were discussed. Citizens expressed willingness to participate in a national protest rally in Sofia.

After the 12-year-old girl's death, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov asked the Road Infrastructure Agency to conduct a check and suspended the entire leadership of the Pleven Regional Road Administration for the duration of the check. At the prosecution's request, the District Court left in remand the driver of the truck that apparently caused the fatal accident.

Telish residents are planning a protest on April 12, when they will block the road between their village and Radomirtsi, which is part of the Sofia-Ruse highway.