The topic of stopping night transport in Sofia has caused controversy in the Sofia Municipal Council, but what can we expect… And what will be the role of the BSP in power… Maya Alexandrova from “Unruly Bulgaria“ speaks to FACT.
- Ms. Alexandrova, you follow things in Sofia Municipality very closely, but the latest topic that has stirred up passions is the stopping of night transport in the capital. How significant is this service…
- The main goal of public transport - regardless of day or night, is to provide a fast, safe and accessible way of moving for the city's residents and guests. And how come some municipal councilors decided that night transport in Sofia is unnecessary? After all, it is used for the same purpose as daytime transport. Are the people who use night transport in Sofia not a second category?
In the words of the submitter of the report on its abolition - Vanya Grigorova, we understand: “Many people will not have transport during the day if we waste resources at night”. And what should ordinary people who work at night and until late at night or have to start early morning shifts do? With this antisocial decision, they are taking away the only accessible means of transport from people who work at night and pay 2 leva for the service, forcing them to take the expensive alternative - a taxi for 20 leva.
And who actually uses night transport? These are medical personnel, employees in establishments, service personnel, those employed in tourism, and let's not forget all the guests of our capital. Don't we want Sofia to have a European look, which includes easy and accessible transportation 24 hours a day?
Let's look at other European capitals such as Paris, Athens, Bucharest, Belgrade and many others, which have 24-hour transportation and/or even free transportation.
Instead of closing it, we should think about how to optimize it!
Even opening another night line to connect the city with Sofia Airport. In other words, night transportation is not a fad, but a significant and necessary social service and most importantly - affordable for everyone, which would ensure easy transportation for people working night shifts and for guests of the city.
- The idea is from municipal councilor Vanya Grigorova, who talked about scooters, sometimes jokingly, sometimes seriously... How do you take this?
- With deep indignation! This municipal councilor lightly removed the working people from the only available means of transportation at night and most brazenly declared that there was an option - scooters!
This is not a joke to me, but the height of arrogance and cynicism.
When there is no bread, eating pasta, Marie Antoinette style, seems to be the way out. And in winter. The defender of the interests of the people, as she herself emphasized, showed her true face. She does not care how a person working the night shift, who earns his bread with hard work, will go to or return from work, because she herself hardly gets out of her luxury car. And she is the first to vote for a salary of 6,500 leva, given that in almost all of Europe municipal councilors are not paid. That's why I suggest we put her on a scooter, but at 2 a.m. and at minus 5 degrees. Let's see how this option will affect her! And let the media cover it.
Is that why we sent them to power - to put us on scooters!
It is unacceptable to joke with people's rights. This is an anti-social policy - extremely neoliberal.
- Recently, the drivers in public transport went on strike and reached talks. Should everything be done through protests?
- In Bulgaria, apparently this is our only salvation, when human rights are not respected, and the state and institutions do not care about us - the people. Then the dissatisfaction with nothing that happens gathers us on the streets.
The bus drivers' protest is about this - to have their demands heard and to receive what they were promised. Namely - a new collective labor agreement with clearly agreed-upon new clauses in it such as: a 30% increase in wages, improved working conditions, less overtime. Demands that were promised to them should be fulfilled. When the promise is not kept, the most logical thing is for the dissatisfaction to bring the drivers out onto the streets with slogans: “We don't want overtime!”, “Your safety is our responsibility!”
When our human rights are violated, when the workers have certain demands, and the authorities do not hear them and do not care about the people, protests remain the only cry to make us heard.
- The BSP has become part of the government. How do you view this?
- The true face of “this BSP” has been revealed. For 10 years you've been saying that you're against the GERB model, against the parallel state, against the backstage and now - hop, you're getting married and entering government with this same backstage.
Absolute betrayal, especially towards the members and sympathizers of this party. A handful of people, the so-called leadership, usurped the top of the BSP, enter this government with one cherished goal - the realization of their personal and business interests in the name of power, positions, money and warm ministerial chairs. Despite the decision of its highest body - the Congress - never in government with GERB. This basic red line was consistently observed, while the chairman of the party was Cornelia Ninova, who was the only one who did not cross it and did not betray her people. That is why she was inconvenient and removed through a coup. Thus, the path was cleared for the mafia that took over this party.
The result is here - “this BSP” landed and sat on Borisov's lap with one goal - to devour together with them.
Principles, ideals were sacrificed, red lines were boldly crossed, Congress decisions were lightly crossed out in the name of power, money, personal ambitions and positions! This government is fake. It was born from a fake parliament, which was elected in fake elections, full of theft and fraud. And the BSP entered government with those who ruined and robbed the state, and became one with them.
- The Zhelyazkov cabinet starts with 32% approval, which is a pretty good indicator. People give confidence, but what do you expect?
- What confidence? What cabinet? This government is the most unprincipled and harmful, born as a result of fake elections. This is a global phenomenon - two months of negotiations and the formation of a government that is yet to write its program. Everything was about posts, portions, public procurement.
This government was formed under the pretext of - “Saving Bulgaria from the crisis”. And, in fact, with the thought of further gnawing at the already gnawed bone of power. This is a government of the united backstage, the agreements, the distribution of posts with one goal - to continue the theft. The Zhelyazkov cabinet was a compromise in the name of the state.
I would say - in the name of Kelepira with a capital “K”!
The deep state has united to gnaw at the little that is left at the table of power. So what trust?! Zero trust!
- When we talk about transport in the capital, we can't ignore the topic of parking. The court said that the reorganization of Blvd. “Vitosha“ should be stopped, but what of it? Is that how it works? It's still sitting…
- The goal of every street reorganization is to improve the conditions for movement and stay. In this case, the reorganization of “Vitosha 4 Blvd. is controversial, according to the city's residents. Bike lanes – good, but where are the good solutions for building additional parking lots and parking spaces, after the reorganization… Ill-considered in this case.
- Mayor Terziev admitted a mistake, but took no action… How is the Sofia Municipality governed by him. A year has passed…
- Mayor Terziev was elected to dismantle the GERB model. The management of our city needed an “injection of freshness“. Unfortunately, we do not see the much-needed change after the long-term rule of GERB and the fatigue it has accumulated.
We do not see any categorical decisions from the mayor. He works sluggishly, without clear ambitions, and there are no progressive policies for the development of our capital.
The overpass over Boyana has been closed for the second year now. There is no work on the much-needed expansion of the Ring Road. The corrupt practices of the 15-year rule of GERB in Sofia are not being addressed. The felled trees on “Opalchenska” street have brought protests. There are no radical measures for the dirty air in our city. In a word - we, the people of Sofia, are still waiting for the long-term decisions promised by Mayor Terziev to be “a modern, progressive, beautiful, safe and well-organized European city”. More than a year has passed, and we are still waiting...