site.btaRoad and Rail Passenger Transport to Be Integrated into Single System

According to a bill that is being drafted, road and rail passenger transport will be integrated into a single system, Bulgarian Deputy Transport and Communications Minister Dimitar Nedyalkov said here on Thursday, quoted by his Ministry in a press release. He was speaking at a discussion on accessible, competitive, and sustainable mobility in Bulgaria, organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria and the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The participants in the discussion included German Ambassador to Bulgaria Irene Maria Plank.

Nedyalkov also said that the integration of passenger transport by road and rail will result in a more effective and convenient transport system. That could be achieved by coordinating timetables and facilitating transfers between the two modes of transport. Integration could ease traffic jams and improve accessibility in remote areas, he noted.

In his words, when adopted the bill will enable the development of a general national transport scheme, and local authorities will have to elaborate transport plans at the regional and municipal level that will have to comply with the national strategy. That will ensure clear regulation of the planning and management of public transport in Bulgaria, which will guarantee a level-playing field for contracting authorities, operators, and passengers, Nedyalkov argued.