The increase in the number of deaths in accidents this year shows that the state is losing the battle with road injuries and urgent legislative and management measures are needed. This was stated by the deputy from the parliamentary group of the “Movement for Rights and Freedoms“ Kalin Stoyanov at a briefing in the National Assembly.
He criticized the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, accusing Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev of shifting his focus from one of the most serious public problems.
“We are concerned about what is happening on Bulgarian roads and the fight against road injuries. Unfortunately, the Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev, absorbed in his hobby of accumulating notarial acts and in his quest to wage a personal vendetta with people from the opposition, is about to lose the most important battle that Bulgarian society has been fighting for years - the battle for road safety,“ Stoyanov said.
According to him, the situation is extremely worrying, and serious accidents with victims are already an everyday occurrence. According to him, statistics clearly show that after three years of decline, the country is again reporting an increase in the number of deaths in road accidents.
“The situation is extremely critical. Every day we witness serious road accidents, unfortunately with many victims. For the first time in three years, we have had a significant increase in the number of deaths on the roads. This is a clear sign that the executive branch, and all of us in the legislative branch, must take quick and adequate measures“, the MP emphasized.
Kalin Stoyanov pointed out that since the beginning of the year, there have been 27 more road fatalities compared to the same period last year. According to him, this requires immediate action, not new discussions on already discussed proposals.
“Unfortunately, since the beginning of the year, there have been 27 more road fatalities compared to the same period last year. This shows that we must react immediately if we want to limit tragedies on Bulgarian roads“, he said.
The MP recalled that serious changes were adopted last year in the Road Traffic Act and the Criminal Code, but some of the proposals submitted then never received support. Among them were measures aimed at young and inexperienced drivers.
„Last year we made specific proposals for the so-called new drivers - restrictions on the power of cars, a ban on driving in the dark, as well as a certain period in which they should drive with an escort. All this remained in the background“, Stoyanov said.
According to him, now the same ideas are being put on the agenda again, which, according to him, shows that they were correct even during their initial discussion. He called on the political forces to put their differences aside and join forces in the name of greater road safety.
„I call on everyone to be united on this topic and to make quick and adequate decisions. Road safety should be a national priority, not a field for political confrontations“, said Kalin Stoyanov.
DPS insists on a complete ban on electric scooters after another serious accident involving a child
A complete ban on electric scooters until a working solution for their safety is found was requested by the parliamentary group of the “Movement for Rights and Freedoms“. At a briefing in the National Assembly, the deputy chairmen of the parliamentary group, Khalil Letifov and Hamid Hamid, stated that the current restrictions are not working, and the number of serious accidents continues to grow.
The reason for the position of the DPS was another serious accident involving an electric scooter, in which a child was injured. According to Letifov, the case shows that the current rules are not being followed and do not provide the necessary protection.
„After another serious accident with an electric individual vehicle, in which a child was again seriously injured, we would like to recall that after the tragic incident on May 31 in Ruse, we proposed a complete ban on scooters. Since June 4, this bill has not even been considered“, said Khalil Letifov.
According to him, the regulations adopted so far have remained only on paper and are not being implemented effectively. He pointed out that the restrictions on the age of drivers, the maximum speed, the power of vehicles and the mandatory safety equipment are not being followed on a large scale.
„It has become clear that the current regulation is not working. "Neither age restrictions are respected, nor speed limits are controlled, nor are the requirements for power, skills and protective equipment achieving the desired effect," Letifov said.
According to him, until a working control and safety system is developed, the most reasonable solution is a complete ban on electric scooters. “We believe that until a permanent solution is found, the most reasonable measure is a total ban on scooters in order to limit serious accidents. We are talking about the lives and health of our children and Bulgarian citizens, and the number of these accidents is growing every year“, emphasized the deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of the MRF.
He called on the National Assembly to at least consider the submitted bill, not excluding new legislative proposals aimed at stricter control over individual electric vehicles. “We insist that these changes be adopted or at least considered. We will also propose additional measures to open a broad debate on the topic and drastically reduce the war on the roads“, said Letifov.
The deputy chairman of the parliamentary group Hamid Hamid also sharply criticized the institutions, accusing the executive branch of not taking enough action against the growing number of road injuries. “The statistics are clear - people die every day, and even more are seriously injured. At the same time, the authorities demonstrate inhuman calm, which is at the cost of human lives. We expect an adequate attitude to this extremely serious problem and urgent measures“, said Hamid.
He added that he did not expect the initiative to come from the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev, but called on the Council of Ministers to seriously engage with the problem.