Bulgarian road safety groups warn of system collapse amid rising fatalities

The Road Safety Institute (RSI) has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, describing the current state of road safety in Bulgaria as a ‘complete collapse’. The organization reported a high number of fatalities, noting that 12 people died and 62 were injured within a 48-hour period.

Critics and transport policy experts, including Diana Rusinova from the European Center for Transport Policy, have called for urgent repairs on dangerous road sections such as the Hemus and Trakia motorways, as well as areas near Vladaia and Pamporovo. They argue that worn asphalt and halted maintenance projects contribute significantly to the rising death toll.

The RSI further criticized the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Regional Development, and the Ministry of Transport, labeling the situation as ‘institutional anarchy’. The institute has proposed five key demands, including the establishment of a unified political center for road safety, mandatory risk assessments before road repair funding is allocated, and improved inter-agency cooperation to prevent the shifting of responsibility between government bodies.