Shocking revelations about the millions for road safety. Over half a billion leva, intended to reduce accidents, remain unused. The Ministry of Interior does not effectively manage the money from the Road Safety Fund, an audit by the Court of Auditors for the last 4 and a half years found.
At the same time, Bulgaria continues to be among the countries with the highest road mortality in the European Union. Have fines turned into a way to collect revenue, instead of a tool for saving human lives while we drive on dangerous roads?
“Mhen this analysis, which was made by the Court of Auditors, does not surprise me at all. This is something we have been talking about for years, not since yesterday, but since 2020. We constantly repeat as a non-governmental organization that ultimately this fund is not being used for its intended purpose.
This was commented on „This Morning“ by Diana Rusinova, Chairwoman of the Board of the European Center for Transport Policies.
„ In fact, the main reason is the one who manages and directs it - the State Agency for Road Safety. It chairs the State-Public Consultative Commission on Road Safety Issues, which includes representatives of almost all ministries. We as a non-governmental organization are observers. There is not a single case in which an observer has proposed something related even to this fund, and it has been accepted. Literally, this advisory commission has become a seal that legitimizes what they want to spend the Ministry of Interior's money on, she pointed out.
While millions of leva remain unused, and institutions shift responsibility, Bulgarian roads remain deadly. It is time for transparency, efficiency and a real commitment to the life and health of all road users.
„This does not mean that new patrols should not be purchased for the Ministry of Interior. Given that there were cars that we photographed and showed, with over a million kilometers of mileage and in very bad condition,“ explained Rusinova.
“Our proposal is to give the RIA the opportunity to use this money to investigate, design and improve the black spots. To also give funds to the municipalities, which are also responsible for safety. But such proposals have never been considered and accepted, the road expert added.
“Indeed, the theoretical idea for the State Agency is good, because road safety is a compilation of various measures that are under the jurisdiction of various departments and ministries. Indeed, the Ministry of Interior is an important part of road safety, but the Ministry of Interior is neither the beginning nor the end. The RIA, municipalities, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and many other institutions are involved in this. All of this is important, but in practice, the Ministry of Interior disposes of these funds and decides how to spend them, commented Iliya Todorov from the Bulgarian Association of Accident Victims.
“What you asked – the causes of trauma, of accidents, of black spots on the map - these are really the alphabet of the question of how to have fewer accidents. Because if we don't know what the causes are, it is very difficult for us to take adequate measures that will work. Another extremely important thing that is evident from this report and which does not surprise us, because we have been talking about it for a long time, is that the money for real prevention, for information, for training and for preventive campaigns is extremely small. We are not talking about the entire 500 million, but about the 150 million that have been spent. Of these, neither 10% nor 5% have been allocated, but less than 1%. About half a percent has been spent in this direction, which in itself is shocking, he pointed out. According to Rusinova, the one who manages road safety does not understand what he should do, and the money they are talking about is more like virtual money. For years, they have been promising us laboratories for testing blood samples for drugs. We are still waiting for them. We know how many months these samples are delayed, and there are two problems here. First, you cannot convict a person of driving after using drugs until the blood sample comes out. In practice, the pre-trial proceedings are blocked. This is a six, nine, sometimes twelve month delay. The case cannot start, Iliya Todorov said.
„During the coronavirus, laboratories were built everywhere. How come the state can't create five laboratories for these tests? Doesn't it have the funds?“, asked Rusinova.
According to her, mobile speed cameras de factoare used more as a money box than as a means of prevention.
While millions of leva remain unused and institutions shift responsibility, Bulgarian roads remain deadly. It's time for transparency, efficiency and a true commitment to the lives and health of all road users.