The PNL candidate for the Capital City Hall, Ciprian Ciucu, spoke about the main problems of Bucharest and what worries him the most. The mayor of District 6 emphasized the need for public policies and the amendment of laws regarding the consolidation of buildings with seismic risk. In addition to this problem, he also addressed other challenges of the Capital, such as traffic, the subway, heating and degraded areas in the city.
Ciprian Ciucu promises urban regeneration and mobility for Bucharest PHOTO: Mediafax
“The biggest unperceived real problem is the risk of earthquakesc”, said Ciucu to Digi24. “We are a capital with a very high seismic risk. This problem is given by the proximity of a seismic center and we have Vrancea, which beats exactly Bucharest. Then, we also talk about the quality of the built stock, that is, the buildings built especially in the center. Not enough has been done here. In fact, this is also the problem that keeps me up at night. Traffic obviously poisons our air and makes us sick, thermia costs us more than it does and we should limit the losses. But how can I tell you? What keeps me up at night, because I know this problem exists, is the large number of buildings that could fall to an earthquake“.
He emphasized the importance of awareness of the problem and the need for clear policies: “First of all we have to be aware of the problem, accept it, follow policies, including legislation. Today, for example, if you want to consolidate a block and someone doesn’t want to leave the apartment, it’s over. Ok, I’m a liberal and I respect the right to property. I respect the right to property, but the right to life must somehow be superior to the right to property. And then we have to admit that we have these problems, but I don’t just want to solve problems, I want to create the framework through which the city can develop harmoniously“.
Traffic and mobility: brave solutions
Regarding traffic, Ciucu believes that a significant improvement could be visible after about two and a half years, if “brave measures, focused on mobility and not traffic”.
“Dedicated lane. Transport must be predictablebe on time, be well connected, get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time, be clean and feel safe. Traffic is not an engineering problem, it is a behavioral problem. Mobility requires behavior change policies, that’s what it’s all about. And obviously, they come with some measures that are not always the most popular. But if we want to civilize ourselves and stop seeing cars on sidewalks downtownwe have to talk to people directly, to explain to them where we will end up. At first, everyone will be upset. Yes, there was some backlash, but now if people still see cars on the sidewalk, they somehow get upset, they get agitated, they call the local police“.
The place in Bucharest that he is ashamed of
Ciprian Ciucu also spoke about the Magheru area, where he remembers his youth: “Magheru, the boulevard of my youth. Because it looks like an unsanitary tunnel. Everything left-right is dead, occupied by traffic lanes, it’s very noisy, the buildings are run down, starting with the Cyclops. One of the first things I will do as Mayor General is to initiate an urban regeneration PUZ for Magheru, to be very clear. The Ramblas model or other models from recognized European cities, with commercial areas, full of life, where people come for pleasure, is a model that Bucharest can follow”.
Heating: necessary investments
Regarding the heating system, Ciucu points out that neither gas nor electricity represent sustainable solutions. “Unfortunately, Bucharest lost several hundred million lei, but the change of pipes continues. Our heating network, especially in the west of the city, she is very old and can’t cope anymore. I wanted to make electric car charging stations and was told it wouldn’t support the grid. If we use apartment plants, on gas, we pollute a lot and there is danger. If we go electric, the grid can’t handle it. We will have to keep investing in heating, resizing the system and eliminating losses, because the money is going into the ground. At that point, huge subsidies will no longer be needed, because the RADET problem attracts very large subsidies“.
The subway: a phased project
Regarding the subway, Ciucu warns: “At this moment, The city hall would go bankrupt if it took over the subwaybut planned in stages, with clear boundaries, will have to take this responsibility. It is not normal for Bucharest to be subsidized by the rest of the country“.
Ciucu’s candidacy, officially validated
On Wednesday, Ciprian Ciucu’s candidacy for the Capital City Hall was unanimously validated by the Coordination Committee of Bucharest Municipality within the PNL. “Today the meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Municipality of Bucharest took place. During the meeting was validated unanimously the candidacy of Ciprian Ciucu in the elections for the position of General Mayor of the Capital”the party announced in a press release.
