News

29 November 2023

Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva referred the capital's mayor Vasil Terziev because of the many complaints from citizens who were dissatisfied that a few days after the snowfall, the streets, sidewalks and green areas in the city of Sofia continued to be inaccessible and covered with fallen branches and trees.

“Citizens are often forced to walk on the traffic lanes, which not only creates inconvenience but also incidents and further endangers their lives and health,” writes Prof. Kovacheva.

She warns that trees or parts of trees broken by the snowfall are not removed in a timely manner and pose a serious danger to citizens. She points out that there are also cases of branches and trees that have fallen on parked cars, playgrounds, etc.

“The situation raises concerns about the ability of the competent institutions to ensure a safe environment for citizens and poses serious questions that need to be answered in a timely manner”, the Ombudsman notes.

According to the public defender, first of all, to protect the life and health of the citizens and guests of the capital, it is particularly important to take immediate and adequate action to ensure that the fallen trees and branches will be cleared as soon as possible and the dangerous ones will be removed.

Kovacheva draws attention to the fact that the situation must be carefully summarised, the shortcomings in the work of all departments and units at Grand Sofia Municipality that are relevant to the problem, as well as the deficiencies in the work of companies with which the Municipality has concluded a contract for snow cleaning and waste collection and transportation should be identified and measures should be taken to eliminate them in a timely manner.

 “I also think that it is particularly important to reconsider the mechanisms for interaction with other institutions in order to optimize them,” Diana Kovacheva is categorical.

She also raises another very important question – about the systematic maintenance of the city's green system so that it does not pose a danger to the life and health of citizens, or cause material damage to buildings, parked cars, the electricity grid, etc.

In conclusion, the Ombudsman urges that immediate action be taken to resolve the problems identified.