KDH: Public Still Lacks Information on €9.5 Mn Lease of 253 Cars by NDS

Bratislava, 15 July (TASR) - Opposition party KDH has criticized the €9.5 million lease of 253 vehicles by the National Highway Company (NDS), questioning the transparency and efficiency of the procurement. KDH MP Igor Janckulik said the operational lease contract was signed last December, yet the public is still not familiar with any details or justification behind it. „I again ask Transport Minister Jozef Raz - under whose authority the NDS operates - whether he has reviewed the efficiency of leasing 253 premium vehicles. I’d also like to know what exactly these cars will be used for, and what will happen to the existing NDS fleet,” Janckulik said in a statement on Tuesday. KDH noted that the NDS leased vehicles in the premium or upper-middle class categories, including brands like Skoda, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz, for a four-year period. The party emphasized that the vehicles are not intended for road maintenance. The legislators plan to raise the issue during a session of the House Committee for Public Administration. „As vice-chair of the Committee, currently chairing its sessions, I plan to convene a meeting in September and invite NDS Director General Filip Machacek to discuss the state of highway and expressway construction,” Janckulik added. He said the committee will also look into the NDS's progress in preparing and implementing highway infrastructure projects. „We’re also interested in whether there is any coordination between the Slovak Road Administration and NDS when it comes to road repairs. At times, it seems as if these two state organizations aren’t even under the same ministry,” said Janckulik. mf