Kamen Kichev: Prices and forwarding agents a drag on shipping across the Danube

"The all-important intermodal freight transport across the Danube River is hindered by forwarding agents and high shipping prices. River transport has a tough time competing with its main rival, the automotive transport," Kamen Kichev, Deputy Minister of Transport, told Focus.

The industry and the administration have to make the necessary changes, take the steps to improve the competitiveness of the river's transport. For now, efforts are focused entirely on railway and river transport, the so-called "internal water routes", Kichev said. The only working intermodal freight transport in Bulgaria at the moment is the transport of vehicles from Germany to Turkey via Vidin. Presently, the Danube River's capacity is utilised at a rate of just 8-10%, which is a crying shame and cannot be allowed to continue, the Deputy Minister explained.
Acknowledging the fact that the river should be used for much more shipping, a committee including representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and Romanian officials was set up to make sure that the Danube River is established as a main transport route. The next planning period under OP Connectivity is expected to finance dredging works and the construction of facilities needed to make navigation on the Danube River easier. It remains to be seen how much money will be provided but, without it, transport on the river lacks competitiveness, Deputy Minister Kamen Kichev said.

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