Together for 1.5
Beneficial for municipalities and citizens – cycling initiatives are hindered due to national level undecidedness.
– A national cycling plan needs recognition by the responsible institutions for its implementation to be kickstarted.
– The plan was developed by a wide range of NGOs and state experts with serious intentions with some municipalities already initiating good ideas from the plan with their very limited sources.
– The Bulgarian revised NECP should recognise the need to act in this terms.
A national cycling plan was prepared on the initiative of an NGO with the involvement of all the responsible national institutions. Still, there is a lack of political will and ownership – the plan needs to be recognized by an institution that would coordinate, develop and turn it into an implementation program.
The aim of the plan is to create opportunities for citizens to move between cities by bicycle, also with the help of the railways. A lot of valuable expert work has been executed, the routes have been carefully selected to pass by railway stations, historical and natural landmarks, etc. to combine commuting, leisure and tourism/recreation.
The lack of institutional recognition and of an institution coordinator leads to stagnation of the implementation. While funding for the implementation is not yet sought, there is definitely interest towards the plan. Small municipalities are already implementing planned measures with their own limited funds. I.e. We have a good measure developed, but it does not have an “owner” in the face of the institutions and its implementation is hindered or even suspended.