The first phase of the project "Development of River Information System in the Bulgarian part of the Danube river - BULRIS" was completed. This was reported by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Petar Kirov, today in Ruse.

"This is a project in which transport goes hand in hand with communications and information technology, and it embodies the name of our ministry", said Deputy Minister Petar Kirov. "Through this project, we are able to prove our political will to build a balanced transportation system that relies on all modes of transport", added Petar Kirov

He said that the BULRIS project will not only enhance the safety and security of the navigation on the Danube, but will contribute to the development of the competitiveness of maritime transport when compared to other modes of transport. "The unique characteristic of BULRIS project is that it is not only addressed towards the state institutions and the development of control activities, but also towards the transport users", said the Deputy Minister. He added that BULRIS fits in the overall effort for the development of the Bulgarian part in the Danube region.

Deputy Minister Petar Kirov further said that the introduction of modern information systems aims at, among other things, improving the capacity of the waterway so as to contribute for the development of all regions of this part of the country, as well as for the development of the overall competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy.

In conclusion, Mr. Petar Kirov expressed his gratitude to the contractors and stressed out that this is the first successful step that is to be continued.

During the event the head of the first stage of the project, Mr. Valentin Hristov, reported the results of the already completed work on it. BULRIS project is being implemented under Operational Programme "Transport" 2007 – 2013. The main activities include design and construction of a software system to monitor ship traffic, equipment centers, delivery, installation and testing of new vessels. Within this part of the project the construction of the technological infrastructure has been finalized in sixteen nodes located along the River Danube. Contractor for the first phase is "United BULRIS 2009" AD. The contract value is 11,289,440 lev without VAT.

Launched late last year, the second phase of the project was presented by Mr. Simon Baldakino from "BUL RIS 2" Consortium. The activities in the phase "Extension of systems and services" are divided into three lots:

Lot 1 Construction of a River Information Centre Ruse

Contractor - "Consortium Danube"

Contract Value - 5986 752.89 lev without VAT.

Execution time - April 2014

Lot 2 Creation of RIS in the Bulgarian part of the Danube - BULRIS - extension of systems and services

Contractor - Consortium "BUL RIS 2" .

Contract Value - 9.494 million lev without VAT.

Execution time - 18 months .

Lot 3 Implementation of a system for monitoring and recording the condition of the riverbed

Contractor - Consortium "GSA Hydrosystems"

Contract Value - 2.845 million lev without VAT.

Execution time - eight months from the date of signing the contract.

The event was attended by the Deputy Ministers of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Anton Ginev and Georgi Todorov, the Director General of State Enterprise "Port Infrastructure" Angel Zaburtov, experts from the Managing Authority of Operational Programme "Transport" as well as representatives of the central and local authorities.