Dutch ambassador Willem van Ee and Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov signed an agreement for joint studies on the creation of a traffic control system in the Bulgarian capital.

Dutch transport ministry’s Partners for Roads programme with the support of Sofia municipality would fund the study, Bulgarian news agency BTA said.

After a study and analysis of the traffic situation in Sofia, the Dutch consultants will create and offer a complete system for traffic improvements in Sofia. The system will include traffic lights coordination, cameras and software use, system for control of public transport and control centres for direct monitoring of traffic.

The project aims at traffic improvements and a decrease of traffic jams, delays, increasing traffic flow and facilitating traffic of ambulances and fire trucks. The final benefits would be improvements of environment, quality of life and a decrease of air pollution and noise, the consultants said.
 
A simulation model will demonstrate the benefits and effectiveness of the system.

The study would cost 200 000 euro and would be paid for by the Partners for Roads programme.

Partners for Roads programme was created in 2001 and funded projects mainly in new EU members, BTA said.