Unionists from the metro are rekindling the war with Drula

The one who put Highway 4 in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) knew very clearly that we will not take this money, because the project will not be able to qualify, stated, on Thursday, the general secretary of USLM, Marian Artimon, in – a press conference.

“In our opinion, the one who put these stations in the PNRR – and I didn’t understand why he stopped for one station and didn’t go from Filaret to the Heroes of the Revolution, to connect it to the current network – did it consciously. He knew very clearly that we were not going to take this money from PNRR for Magistrala 4. He had a great hatred for this subway. He wanted to put it into insolvency in 2021, he wanted to fire half the people… It’s about the former minister (of Transport Cătălin Drula – no), everyone knows who he is, but I don’t like to say his name, that I get angry. He knew very clearly that the project would not qualify for the PNRR. Let’s not forget that section no. was signed the day before yesterday. 2 on Highway 6, which he took out of everything, he didn’t want to do it anymore, because it’s not profitable…so a European capital without a subway. What did he do during the 9 months he stayed (at the ministry – no), from January to September, we did not manage to restore this Metrorex, so that it would function according to standards”, claimed Artimon.

In the opinion of the USLM leader, after it was introduced in the PNRR, the project of highway 4 was blocked by the mayor general Nicuşor Dan.

“Returning to the project, put it in the PNRR, very good! But I have a feeling that, through his friend from the Capital City Hall, he blocked him. I saw Mr. Grindeanu’s statement that if we still want an integrated transport system, it must be in one hand. Well, what should a general mayor like this do who, in two years, was not able to give PUZ to six stations. For six months, he has not been able to put this PUZ on the agenda at the Capital City Hall, at the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest, in order to be able to qualify for the PNRR. And then, may God grant that we manage to get the necessary money to move them to the M6 ​​and we can do it through the POT and reach the Jilava commune on the 13-14 stations, because now the project is not finalized, to go to there. It is clear that the Bucharest metropolitan area also needs the 5th metro. Revin: with 4% we transport 20% of the citizens. Maybe with 10% we bring 40%. Fewer cars, less pollution, a more pleasant environment, better working conditions, better standard of living and it will be a European capital as it should be”, added Marian Artimon.

He also said that, in his opinion, “someone should continue Highway 5 and intersect with Highway 4,” and Highway 2 should intersect with Highway 4, and then “we could get people to use the subway more, but the decisions are political on a certain European system of granting money”.

The project regarding the approval of the Zonal Urban Plan for Metro Highway 4, section Gare de Nord – Gara Progresul, was submitted to public debate on the website of the Capital City Hall at the beginning of February 2023. It will have 14 stations, a length of 10.8 km and will reach Jilava commune, from the North Station.

The Zonal Urban Plan, which was created by the company Metroul SA, had to be approved by the Capital City Hall.

The project of the Magistrala 4, the section of the Northern Station – the Progresul Station, was included in the PNRR, to be financed with about 300 million euros, but, due to the fact that the approvals from the Capital City Hall were not received in time, the European Commission approved the use of the amount for Highway 6.

In this sense, two days ago, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Sorin Grindeanu, stated that he received assurances from the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş, that one of the changes in the PNRR accepted by the European Commission refers to the transfer of funding from M4 to M6.

“I hope that everything we have tried for 1 year, namely the transfer of this section from POIM or POT to PNRR, will happen and the signals are positive. At the last government meeting, Minister Boloş assured me that one of the changes already accepted by the European Commission in PNRR is this exchange between M4 and M6. This is something already accepted by the Commission as a change in the PNRR. So, we were talking about the first section, where the works will start in June, and this second one, which has a duration – this contract – of 48 months. Also, six stations as on the first section, and which will connect Tokyo station with Otopeni Airport. We believe that a European capital, such as Bucharest, cannot be without a connection with the city, in this case with the center of Bucharest, in fact without a connection with the metro. That is why we consider this project extremely important. Financing exists on both sections. The builders on both the first section and the second have the necessary experience to do these projects”, said Grindeanu, on Tuesday, at the contract signing conference “Connection of the metro network with the Henri Coandă International Airport (Highway 6. 1 Mai – Otopeni) – design and execution of resistance structure works for Lot 1.2: Tokyo – Otopeni Airport”, with the Gulermak AÄŸir Sanayi Inşaat Ve Taahhut AS- Somet SA Association