On June 26 Martijn Elgersma, charge d’affaires at the Dutch embassy in Bulgaria, handed the comprehensive report of the first phase of a feasibility study that aims to solve Sofia's traffic problems to deputy city mayor in charge of transportation, Velizar Stoilov.

The first phase of the study, the full name of which is Intelligent TMS Sofia Feasibility Study, User Needs and Recommendations, was carried out by Dutch consultancies DHV and Vialis.

“An important feature of the study is that it is not a theoretical exercise – clients need an assessment that has been made based on thorough study of the current situation and workshops involving all stakeholders,” Elgersma told reporters at a news conference. He said that the proposed solutions did not entail completely new and expensive concepts, but were building up on measures already undertaken by Sofia municipality.

"Current investments of the municipality are in the right direction towards a fully intelligent traffic management system,” the report concluded

Synchronisation of traffic signals is now a priority, together with the installation of traffic monitoring equipment, Elgersma said. According to him, the traffic management system of the city needs to be upgraded further. “A priority system for public transport vehicles can and should be implemented,” Elgersma said.

Stoilov said that the city hall was also interested in the second part of the feasibility study to research and offer solutions to development of bicycle lanes network in Sofia. Feiko van der Veen, senior consultant on traffic management at DHV said that they would consider the study on bicycle options.

The first phase of the feasibility study was co-financed by the Netherlands transport ministry and the partner companies that carried it out – DHV and Vialis. The second part of the feasibility study is expected to be financed by the Dutch ministry as well and an application for finance will also be filed to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, project consultant Roeland van de Ven told The Sofia Echo.

The second part is expected to start right away and finish by the end of 2008, to be followed by implementation of the project, he said. The second phase of the feasibility study would also include pilot implementation of some of the equipment for traffic control involved at certain parts of the city and survey on how they work in Sofia’s conditions.