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Wed, Feb 08 2012
Illegal diplomatic barriers in Sofia
The barrier on the corner of Vitosha Boulevard and Kurnigradska Street, blocking access to the former US cultural centre, has been removed, but many others remain in place without Sofia city council approval.
Photo: Ivan Grigorov
Only the barriers around the Spanish embassy and the residence of the US ambassador in Sofia where erected after approval from the Sofia municipal council, suggesting that all other barriers and road blocks that hinder traffic in the centre of Bulgaria's capital were illegal.
During a council meeting on March 16 2010, the municipal committee for public order and security presented a report to the municipal council on where barriers had been set up that blocked traffic and on what grounds these barriers had been placed.
Streets and sidewalks, which are frequently blocked by barriers and other obstacles erected by public institutions, as well as embassies, are public municipal property and only the municipal council can give approval to erect barriers or otherwise hinder traffic.
The report, however, contained data of only six embassies and two ministries, because the municipality had no documentation on the construction of barriers at any of the other institutions, Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik said.
The barriers around the residency of the US ambassador were placed after approval from the municipal council in 2002 and were supposed to be temporary, though no deadline by which they would have to be removed was given.
The barriers around the Spanish embassy were approved in late-February 2010, with the request being granted because Spain held the rotating European Union presidency. The barriers were to be removed by July 2010, when Belgium is scheduled to take over the EU presidency.
Barriers placed in front of the British embassy were put with approval of only the municipal committee for public order and security and were again temporary.
The barriers around the Italian and Turkish embassies were erected with the approval of former mayor Stefan Sofiyanski after a letter from the police, the report said.
In Turkey's case the motivation for the precautionary measures were terrorist attacks in Turkey.
The war in Iraq was in 2003 the motivation for the approval to erect barriers around the Justice and the Defense Ministries.
Councilors of various parties heavily criticised the report for the lack of information. One omission that was pointed out by councilors was the Economy Ministry, which had turned the sidewalk around the ministry into a parking place for ministry cars.
Councilors asked deputy mayor for transport Lyubomir Hristov to present a complete report within one week on all obstacles on sidewalks and streets in the city centre, including a timetable of when they would be removed.
During a council meeting on March 16 2010, the municipal committee for public order and security presented a report to the municipal council on where barriers had been set up that blocked traffic and on what grounds these barriers had been placed.
Streets and sidewalks, which are frequently blocked by barriers and other obstacles erected by public institutions, as well as embassies, are public municipal property and only the municipal council can give approval to erect barriers or otherwise hinder traffic.
The report, however, contained data of only six embassies and two ministries, because the municipality had no documentation on the construction of barriers at any of the other institutions, Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik said.
The barriers around the residency of the US ambassador were placed after approval from the municipal council in 2002 and were supposed to be temporary, though no deadline by which they would have to be removed was given.
The barriers around the Spanish embassy were approved in late-February 2010, with the request being granted because Spain held the rotating European Union presidency. The barriers were to be removed by July 2010, when Belgium is scheduled to take over the EU presidency.
Barriers placed in front of the British embassy were put with approval of only the municipal committee for public order and security and were again temporary.
The barriers around the Italian and Turkish embassies were erected with the approval of former mayor Stefan Sofiyanski after a letter from the police, the report said.
In Turkey's case the motivation for the precautionary measures were terrorist attacks in Turkey.
The war in Iraq was in 2003 the motivation for the approval to erect barriers around the Justice and the Defense Ministries.
Councilors of various parties heavily criticised the report for the lack of information. One omission that was pointed out by councilors was the Economy Ministry, which had turned the sidewalk around the ministry into a parking place for ministry cars.
Councilors asked deputy mayor for transport Lyubomir Hristov to present a complete report within one week on all obstacles on sidewalks and streets in the city centre, including a timetable of when they would be removed.
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Barriers? What about parked cars all over the sidewalks. I clearly remember the builder of the new mall had to pay fines because they were using the streets as a workshop. Maybe now it's the turn for all the other institutions to start paying fines and fix up parks?