Headline: Sofia‘s Mayor Spearsheads Effort to Improve Safety and Accessibility in Vitosha Nature Park
In a recent Facebook post, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev highlighted the city’s recent efforts to enhance safety and accessibility in Vitosha Nature Park. The initiative comes after밀itary-grade changes to road cleaning and maintenance procedures were implemented.
Mayor Terziev, speaking on his personal Facebook page, conveyed his dissatisfaction with the state’s involvement, stating that it forced the city to take matters into its own hands. He explained that while Sofia Municipality is responsible for maintaining roads used by public transport and some access points to huts, the majority of the park, including its forests, falls under state jurisdiction.
The Mayor’s announcement follows a particularly challenging start to the ski season, where heavy snowfall and insufficient equipment from the cleaning firm resulted in temporary road blockages. Despite quick reactions from all involved parties to restore traffic flow, Mayor Terziev emphasized the need for a revised approach to prevent such incidents in the future.
Key Measures Implemented:
- Increased demands on the contracted winter cleaning firm, including enhanced equipment suitable for mountain winter conditions and more frequent sanding.
- Temporary nighttime closures of the two main roads leading to Vitosha to facilitate thorough cleaning by the contracted firm.
- Strengthened coordination and communication between municipal police, emergency services, transport, civic maintenance, ski schools, and huts.
Mayor Terziev also extended his appeal to visitors of Vitosha, urging them to drive vehicles equipped with winter tires and chains, park responsibly, and utilize public transport to reduce traffic congestion.
While efforts are ongoing to improve current access, the city is actively developing a comprehensive vision for accessing Vitosha, set to be revealed at the beginning of next year. The Mayor expressed his hope that full accessibility to Vitosha would be achieved by 2025 through the collaborative efforts of all involved institutions.
The Mayor’s post on Facebook (in Bulgarian) can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/vasil.terziev.9/posts/732361366129939
