I am most affected by the uncertainty of passengers in railway transport, because those incidents that end in death have become more frequent. The latest accident near Lokorsko is indicative - two trains were launched against each other. This crosses any line. Since yesterday there has been zero tolerance for all violations of norms and standards in railway transport. This was stated by the Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov in the program “Face to Face“ on BTV.
He explained what zero tolerance means: “If for the first violation there has been a fine until now, for the second - another punishment, now for the first violation you will be fired directly. This is about violating those rules that affect traffic safety. It's not about minor disciplinary violations, like smoking in the room or something like that," the Deputy Prime Minister specified.
“The picture I found is the following - you run a red light and this has become the norm. In the last accident, you start from a junction and join the main railway. There was an agreement between the dispatchers and the drivers, which is unacceptable. If the procedure had been followed, the protective mechanism would have worked and the incident would have been prevented. For me, this is the limit - from now on there can be no more accidents. Clear instructions have been given“, emphasized Minister Karadjov.
“As a minister, I am obliged to take measures to prevent more accidents from happening. I have instructed the managers to check every employee and have them pass an exam, and also to check the working order of the equipment“, he explained.
“I took over as minister after an unprecedented tragedy. I must solve this problem and assure Bulgarian citizens that they can travel safely. There will be a change“, the transport minister was categorical.
He confirmed that the budget is in a very bad state. “The state spends more than it collects. Urgent measures must be taken to replenish the treasury so that the budget does not exceed the 3% threshold“, Karadjov explained.
“This is a cabinet that fully responds to what the people want. They want a broad coalition. Its stability depends on how much people approve of what is being done“, he also said.
Grozdan Karadjov announced that he has not appointed a single new person so far. “I work with the existing teams and it is wonderful”, he said. According to him, it is important that the person knows his job and is a worker. “If it turns out to be a ladybug - it will fly away. The time for politicking is over”, the Minister of Transport announced.