At the end of its mandate, the Center for Urban Mobility plans to sign a public contract worth BGN 5.9 million with only one candidate, despite the public dissatisfaction that led to its termination. This alarmed municipal councilor Simeon Stavrev from „Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria-Save Sofia“, who specified that the Center for Urban Mobility had terminated the order themselves. However, after the appeal of the only applicant to the Commission for Protection from Competition, the authority ruled in his favor and the contract was resumed.
“The scandalous public procurement is for BGN 5.9 million without VAT. The requirements for it are so restrictive that only a small number of companies in Bulgaria can cover them. Under the long title of the contract, „Digitalization of existing services … for the management and control of road vehicle parking…“ practically stands the intention to pour more money into software and hardware for the control and charging of parking in the city. It is not even clear what the benefit for the citizens of Sofia will be from the services that the Center for Urban Mobility will receive from this public procurement”, commented Stavrev.
The municipal councilor adds that the candidate „Smart Parking Solution“ is a merger between „WEST AUTO DIGITAL EOOD“ and „UPASS“ AD. It is „UPASS“ AD that is behind the „URBO Parking“ phone application, which allows hourly parking in Sofia. Stavrev points out that, in practice, the Center for Urban Mobility is already working with the candidate for the public contract worth BGN 5.9 million. He also criticizes the decision of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, whose chairman, Yulia Nenkova, is the mother of GERB MP Alexander Nenkov.
“I do not understand how the decision of the Commission for the Protection of Competition is in the protection of competition, after ruling in favor of a candidate who has virtually no competition and competes with himself. The mandate of Ms. Nenkova was extended by the parliament for two years until the summer of 2023. Then Democratic Bulgaria asked for a veto from the president, who did not impose it”, Stavrev recalls.
The municipal councilor also warned that after the end of the commitment to the Center for Urban Mobility, the contractor will simply stop his „service“, and the Center for Urban Mobility will have nothing left but spent funds. According to Stavrev, the Center for Urban Mobility does not protect the public interest, and the ongoing blockade of the Metropolitan Municipal Council may leave the current leadership in charge even after its mandate expires.
