Assessment of the Bulgarian General Transport Master Plan

1
Assessment of the Bulgarian General Transport
Master Plan

• On behalf of the European Commission, DG Regional
  Policy

Hans Vogelaar, ECORYS Meeting Monitoring
Committee Operational Programme
Transport Pravets, 7 June 2011
2
Objective of the assessment

• Second opinion on the Bulgarian General Transport
  Master Plan
• Tasks
• Review GTMP, coherence with EU Transport Policy
  and national sector objectives
• Evaluate results 2000-2006 and 2007-2013
  programming periods
• Consult relevant stakeholders in Bulgaria
• Recommendations using GTMP for preparations
  2014-2020 programming period

3
GTMP objectives

• Technical data, models, multimodal studies
• Medium and long term investment programming
• Funding Operational Programme Transport 2007
  2013
• Identifying strategic priorities
• Programmes and projects
• Resources transport sector, financing
  opportunities incl. PPP
• Institutional requirements, reform
• Carried out by AECOM Limited, 2008 - 2011

4
EU Transport Policy

• Policy/strategy development (DG MOVE)
• Funding Structural and Cohesion (DG REGIO)
• Environment (DG ENV)
• OPT and GTMP superficial in addressing EU policy
  issues
• White Paper 2011 Roadmap to a Single European
  Transport Area
• Resource efficient means of transport
• Clean urban transport
• Technologically innovative (intelligent)
  transport systems
• User-pays, polluter pays principle,
  internalisation external costs
• Private finance initiative
• New OPT 2014-2020 to reflect White Papers
  comprehensive approach

5
Programmes

• ISPA (2000-2006) and ERDF/Cohesion Fund
  (2007-2013)
• Administrative Capacity
• Institutional framework, enabling
• Project (Cycle) Management, supported by
• Transport Planning, knowledge, skills,
  competences
• Traffic forecasting, modelling
• Project Appraisal (CBA, EIA) GTMP
• Pipeline Management, Prioritization
• Obstacles
• Retendering, redesign, new options, variants
• Disputes between employer and contractor
• Pre-financing requirements
• Land acquisition

6
GTMP results

• Strong points
• Model and data management technically sound
• Comprehensive approach investment, maintenance
  and operations, administrative and organisational
  measures
• Project pipeline mechanism useful
• Weak points
• Reference EU Transport Policy, strategic base
• Project appraisal CBA approach
• Funding chapter, PPP information
• Institutional human resources development

7
GTMP delivery

• Considerable delay endangers GTMPs effectiveness
  
• Little stakeholder involvement during model and
  data base development
• Systems and data files (excl. model software)
  handed over to MTITC but not implemented
• Limited transport planning capacity/capabilities
  at MTITC
• Serious risk GTMP heritage not operational for
  preparations next programming period
• Missed opportunity Master Plan acting as
  catalyst of transport planning capacity
  development

8
Stakeholders involvement

• Criticism
• Involvement development GTMP limited, little
  feedback
• No discussion alternatives/options
• No capacity building in organisations to use GTMP
  system soon
• Project development
• Inadequacy own administrative capacity,
  continuity programme/project preparation/implement
  ation
• JASPERS support considered indispensable for
  years to come
• Planning ahead
• Potential GTMP project selection, appraisal and
  prioritisation instrument
• Private sector interest in next OPT development

9
Conclusions recommendations

• GTMP support medium and long term investment
  programming?
• Overall conclusion GTMP limited applicability
• Report Rigid project listings and priorities,
  partly outdated and disputed, no opportunity for
  further option analysis
• Tool for project selection, appraisal and
  prioritisation
• 1) full operational implementation GTMP models
  and data bases not feasible in view of required
  capacities/ capabilities MTITC
• 2) No time to be instrumental preparing new
  OPT 2014-2020
• But GTMP useful as a stepping stone, using what
  can be made operational at reasonable short term
  (action plan)

10
Towards Action Plan

• New OPT 2014-2020 to reflect White Papers
  comprehensive approach
• Adequate transport planning capacity core
  competence MTITC
• Dedicated unit in MTITC to manage planning
  instruments and data bases traffic forecasting
  (models), project appraisal, project pipeline
  management
• GTMP as stepping stone, emphasis on GTMP pipeline
  management module project listing, screening,
  prioritization
• MTITC to coordinate transport planning
  requirements and make data and instruments
  accessible to beneficiaries
• Coordination knowledge management financing
  (PPP!!) with Ministry of Finance
• Institutional and human resource consequences
• TA to further prepare the pipeline management
  module in short term.