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Nikolay Sabev
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Letters for the airports will be received by other mayors – for example in Sliven and Stara Zagora, said the Minister of Transport
Everyone should do their checks outside the border checkpoints, but at the furrow itself, in order to speed up the crossing. I travel around the borders like Levski, he said
The new trains that will be bought with European money from the recovery plan will go to the one who wins the public service contract. This was explained to the Transport Committee in the Parliament by the Minister of Transport Nikolay Sabev.
BDZ’s contract expires at the end of 2024, and a new procedure will be announced. The recovery plan stipulates that 35 one-storey and 7 two-storey electric locomotives for 160 km / h for suburban transport will be bought with European money. 20 trains for a speed of 200 km / h will be for the main destinations in the country. An order for 18 electric battery shunting locomotives will also be announced.
BGN 1.022 billion is the investment in new trains, according to the recovery plan it is BGN 665.98 million, the remaining BGN 355.82 million is co-financing. The implementation period is 2022-2026.
Sabev explained to the deputies that the beneficiary of the European money is the Ministry of Transport. The company that wins the contract for a new public service contract will receive the trains, but for use, they remain state-owned. It will also commit to their service and service. “I hope this will be BDZ,” he said, continuing with the topic of merging passenger, freight and the holding company into the BDZ National Company. At the moment, the passenger carrier is not able to win the contract, but reforms have been made.
Sabev, as an entrepreneur, said he did not believe he would ever be in a situation to thank Bulgarian unions, as as a business owner, he did not allow them. He told the deputies that the main obstacles to healing the railways as soon as possible are not the Bulgarian trade unions, but the Bulgarian administration. He said that they are doing everything possible to overcome them, more personnel changes will be made and it is not in vain that I am waiting for experts from outside.
Sabev was also asked about his letters to the mayors of Ruse and Burgas, asking for the airport near the village of Shtraklevo, as well as the former military in Ravnets to be transferred to the Ministry of Transport. He said such letters would be sent to all mayors whose territories have airports, mentioning Sliven and Stara Zagora.
Regarding Ravnets, he said that there was a similar situation in Silistra, where a private entrepreneur would build a photovoltaic park on the grounds of the former airport, but things were his “last cry” (referring to his letter to the mayor), as this terrain has long been a private property. The minister said he knew how much it would cost to build an airport “and that by installing anchor bolts on the runway it’s over,” he said, referring to the idea of investing in a solar plant and a hydrogen plant on the Ravnets site.
MRF deputies asked him about the opening of Makaza and the commitment of the border checkpoint to set a scale to measure the trucks. In the summer the checkpoint was busy and there were huge queues. If trucks are diverted from the Tower to the Makaza, crossing will be difficult.
Sabev said that Bulgaria does not have a transport problem, but logistics, and the emphasis in the work of his department would be connectivity, and he, like Levski, traveled around the borders. According to the minister, Rudozem-Xanthi, Zlatograd-Termes should be opened with Greece, and not everything should be piled up on the Promahon Tower.
Sabev again spoke about the intention of all checkpoints that have nothing to do with the border crossing to leave the border checkpoints. There was an understanding from the Ministry of Interior, customs, automobile administration, the regional ministry and their services to make their inspections outside the checkpoints, and not at the furrow itself.
Finally, the minister asked the deputies to give him a thumbs-up as he goes to a meeting with the telecoms. “I will explain to them that no one ever intended to make a state telecom,” he said.
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