Sofia Echo: Cyclists in Bulgaria’s capital

On October 25 Sofia candidate-mayor Martin Zaimov signed a document entitled “My promises to the cyclists in Sofia”. He signed and gave the document to Sofia cyclists during the open studio, which took place on the corner of Sofia boulevards Patriarh Evtimii and Vitosha. Cyclists attended the event and spoke to Zaimov on the bike-topic.

With his signature Zaimov promised, if elected either for Sofia mayor or for municipal councilor in the October 28 local mayor elections, to develop a plan for the development and maintenance of bicycle lanes that were to connect Sofia’s centre with distant boroughs, as well as to organise the construction of bicycle lanes along the highways, boulevards and streets.

Among the rest of the promises were the inclusion of bicycle-lanes during the processes of projecting and renovation of boulevards; development of bicycle lanes in the broad river beds, parks and local streets; development of safeguarded bicycle parking lots near the metro stations and key transport points to provide conditions for combined trips; installation of suitable street spikes to lock bicycles; construction of a bike-park for mountain biking on the territory of Sofia’s South Park (Yuzhen Park) or other suitable place. Zaimov also plans to create a database that would include a cyclists’ register, statistics on the usage of the main bicycle lanes, statistics of accidents with cyclists and of revealed thefts of bicycles.

Zaimov also signed to “ensure zero tolerance for not following traffic regulations”, to make and popularise a map with bicycle routes in Sofia and to promote the use of bicycles as alternative ecological transport.

Representatives of the pre-election committee of Zaimov contacted the cyclists’ web-site Mtb-bg.com to organise an event for cyclists in Sofia as candidate-mayor Zimov was an avid cyclist. They met with representatives of the bicycles producers Drag Bicycles (dragbicycles.com), BikeEvoliution association (bikevolution-bg.org) and Mtb-bg.com and planned a bicycle parade and meeting on October 21.

At the meeting Zaimov was supposed to sign the agreement with the cyclists and to discuss problems for cyclists in Sofia, and possible solutions.

The meeting and bike parade planned to pass by Sofia boulevards Evlogi Georgiev and behind Hilton Hotel to South Park however they did not take place on October 21 due to the bad weather.

After that representatives of Zaimov pre-election headquarters met again with the cyclists organizations and discussed the possible events. It was proposed to initiate an on-line discussion on the topic. BikeEvolution proposed meeting between Zaimov and the cyclist in a hall because of bad weather but it was finally decided to invite the cyclists on the open for all citizens studio on October 25.

On that day Zaimov met the cyclists and signed the symbolic agreement. He said improvement of the conditions for cycling in Sofia was feasible in one mandate.

BikeEvolution managing board chairperson Radostina Marinova commented on the topic to The Sofia Echo. She said it is a fact that during the last months the problems of the cyclists are more often commented on than ever before. “The stifling city environment makes that many people look at the bicycle as an alternative means of transport,” she said. “I hope that through the promises, the candidate-mayor or municipal councilor will put his efforts in solutions to practical problems, and we would soon have a good bicycle lane network,” Marinova said.