Sir

I have been following with interest the correspondence from Konstantin Petrov about the ongoing problems with refuse trucks aggravating commuter traffic jams in the city of Sofia.

As someone whose requires frequent trips to various offices around the city at various times of day, I too am becoming increasingly frustrated at the loss of productivity resulting from the “dead time” that must be allowed to get from point to point between appointments. It is not just morning commuter traffic that is the problem, but in fact the city is close to achieving all-day traffic jams.

Being caught in one of these can and does sometimes mean being late for appointments, with the concomitant risk of seeming unprofessional in the eyes of those with whom one has made an appointment.

I know that there have been media reports citing enormous figures for the costs caused by the traffic jams. Unless, as I sometimes suspect, those in authority have a financial interest in fuel companies and are happy to allow cars to sit idly emitting exhaust fumes, worsening existing pollution risks and therefore risks to health, the time is overdue for the city to do something about this steadily worsening problem. But so far I do not see anything happening, beyond the ever-spreading tentacles of the Blue Zone – the city authorities seem more interested in making money from parking fees (and fines) rather than enabling efficiency for those who have to motor around Sofia.

Several steps are needed, just one being a more adequate supply of parking. Every now and then for several years we have heard about plans for parking garages, but these never seem to come to fruition, and again one wonders why. Not only do these plans never bear fruit, but also developments go up without adequate provision for parking, in fact making a bad situation worse. So, second, there needs to be strict control of new buildings, whether office or residential, ensuring that those who live and work there, and their visitors, have off-street parking.

None of this, however, will solve the problem of traffic flow. Admittedly, little can be done about the city’s narrower streets, beyond perhaps making more of them one-way in accordance with some (hopefully) intelligent and well-thought-out plan. But with the larger avenues, consideration should be given to a “Chicago-style” solution of building parallel roadways above existing ones. Again, this will not be a deterrent to people using their cars, but at least will allow a smoother traffic flow and less frustration – and less exhaust fumes.

Finally, another look is needed at public transport. There should be a moratorium on increases of prices of tickets for public transport, to encourage people to continue to use buses and trams rather than their (probably bought on expensive credit) new cars.

And yes indeed, to end where I began, the city authorities need to impose and enforce strict rules about the movement of heavy trucks in the city. Refuse companies need to be ordered to run their trucks at times when there is less heavy traffic, and if need be, heavy vehicles should be kept away from intense-traffic parts of the city during rush hours.

I live in hope, but not much hope, that this issue may get wider attention, especially given that at least some of those in office at the city council will be chasing re-election later this year.

Bill
Sofia