In Order to Take the Subway

How wonderful it would have been if we could also take the subway covering the territory of our capital, like the rest of the civilized world. But, no! While in most capitals the people have stopped long ago to think that the subway is a supper luxury, in our country it is still very difficult even to think that we would have the honor in the near future to accept the subway as the main means for city travel.  And although the Prime Minister Stanishev is trying by all mean to convince us that:

"…the development of the infrastructure has always been a priority of this Government"

we would have difficulties believing that this is really true. According to an audit by the National Audit Office for the period 2005-2007 there is large disparity between the forecast and expected implementation of the subway project and what has really been achieved.  The graphics demonstrate it visually.

According to the audit report, the total delay in the construction of the subway system would lead to delays in the already built sections in the Eastern direction. If we take into account the other social and economic effects from the unfulfilled project, than this delay is very costly for the people living in Sofia and would have many NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CITY, some of which could not be expressed in financial terms.

The ineffective implementation of the subway system does not stop the mayor and the Prime Minister to shake hands friendly and to state how good it is that the segment from Mladost III to Tzarigradsko shosse with a length of 2.2 km. would be constructed in 39 months And that the already narrowed boulevard Cherni Vrah would be affecting the movement of the people of Sofia approximately for the same period. And here comes the next conclusion of Mr. Borissov, that "Sofia would breathe again" somehow as if it is washing away the above mentioned deadline. I as a relatively sensible citizen of Sofia am beginning to ask how come that the government is always trying to convince us in the advantages of what they do, while I myself and not  only I are a witness of that how the otherwise beneficial economically projects are not implemented effectively and economically.  

But never mind. It may come out that the Bulgarians are very patient, since they could swallow that the first subways around the World had been build during the 70's of the nineteen century, while in our country the citizens of 2-million people Sofia continue to hear, that sometime in the future they would be able to take a ride on the subway around the city.

* Vera Roussinova is an intern at IME


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