NGO:Statistical Institute Erased 18 000km of Roads from Bulgarian Map

Nearly 18 000 kilometers of roads have disappeared from Bulgaria's map after 2002, following data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI), an NGO informs.

According to a media statement of the Civic initiative for public rail transport NGO, Bulgaria had a republican road network spanning 37 296 kilometers by 2002 and after that, all of a sudden, the road network shrank to 19 280 kilometers in official documents.

The NGO underscores that the same number of kilometers of road network are contained in the Eurostat database (supposedly submitted by the NSI) and in Bulgaria's Partnership Agreement with the EU for the 2014-2020 programming period.

The NGO, as cited by Standard daily, argues that the government is using the manipulated figures to justify the ongoing construction of road infrastructure as Bulgaria is made to appear one of the EU countries with the lowest total road network length and density.

The organization claims that the figures were distorted in 2002, during the term in office of the three-way coalition government, adding that all of the three subsequent Cabinets benefited from the manipulation.

The NGO insists that the manipulated road network data is used by the government to justify its current focus on building highways regardless of the undisputed EU priority on rail transport.

The NGO backs the demand of the NSI Director Reneta Indzhova for a comprehensive inspection of the activity of the NSI.