Raz: Sticking to Road Schedule Complicates Preparation Process

Bratislava, 15 June (TASR) - Adherence to the schedule for planning and constructing road infrastructure, which the Transport Ministry updates annually, is hampering the preparatory process, stated Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) on Monday, adding that an attempt has been made to address this as much as possible via the Strategic Investments Act, simplifying environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes, and the new Building Act. "All of these were steps toward reducing the time-frame from eight years to four," said Raz regarding measures to shorten construction preparation times. "Nevertheless, we have permit processes in which you cannot influence the timelines, as the public, for example, is involved - I'm talking about EIAs or landowners during property settlements, where this can drag on for years, even decades," noted the minister. Head of the National Highway Company (NDS) Filip Machacek noted that the basic schedule for the motorway and road network was prepared under the previous government. "There are items included in it based on the fact that we have 118 projects at various stages of preparation," he said. In the case of projects that, according to Machacek, they can afford to finance, they can accelerate the preparation process, and if no other issues stand in the way, they will move to implementation. The transport minister pointed out that, in the end, road sections and slip roads are built anyway, and the process can be managed to the point at which it becomes feasible. "This is partly the case in Slovakia due to decisions by the UVO [Public Procurement Office] and the legal option to appeal. If I should define a process for an above-threshold contract, it takes an average of eight months here," added Raz. am/df