BBARS 11th Annual Road Infrastructure Conference a further Success

19 September 2025 | Plovdiv, Bulgaria

On September 18–19, 2025, Plovdiv once again became the center of Bulgaria’s road safety dialogue during the 11th Annual Conference on “Safe Road Infrastructure”, organized by the Bulgarian Branch Association Road Safety at the Grand Hotel Plovdiv. Held every year, this conference has firmly established itself as the country’s leading platform for cooperation in the field of road safety, bringing together representatives of state and local administrations, academia, experts, the civil sector, and business. Its mission remains consistent: to systematically and sustainably reduce road fatalities in Bulgaria by improving infrastructure, refining regulations, and advancing integrated safety policies.

This year’s edition opened with official addresses, including remarks by Christophe Nicodème, Director General of the European Union Road Federation (ERF), alongside Bulgarian and international leaders. Their interventions emphasized the importance of aligning Bulgaria’s efforts with broader European strategies on safe, sustainable, and decarbonized mobility.

The first day featured contributions from renowned experts such as Prof. Alexander Zeissler of the Technical University of Dresden, Stefan Pfeiffer of the Feucht highway police, and Prof. Borislav Hristov of HTW Berlin. Discussions spanned topics including psychology in mobility, accident investigation challenges, judicial approaches to road cases, and the insurance industry’s role in risk management. The day concluded with a gala dinner that provided space for networking and exchange.

On the second day, attention turned to national strategies and institutional perspectives. Presentations included Maria Georgieva of the Bulgarian Road Safety Agency on integrating safety into the investment process, Commissioner Dimitar Michev on accident statistics across the country, and Eng. Yordan Valchev, Chairman of the Road Infrastructure Agency, on future strategies for building a safer and more efficient road network. Engineering requirements for road surfaces were also presented by Eng. Rosen Koleliev. The event concluded with a joint declaration underlining shared commitments to safer, more sustainable road infrastructure.

The 2025 conference once again succeeded in combining local expertise with international best practices. As part of a well-established annual tradition, it reaffirmed Bulgaria’s determination to strengthen road safety year after year and to contribute actively to the European vision of safer and greener mobility.