It’s not really my thing to write about social problems. But what’s happening in Bucharest from the fall is quickly turning into a disaster. Everybody knew that traffic would turn back to being an inferno and the short relief that summer had brought would not last. But nobody expected the metro to get as crowded as it is.
And it’s not just me, everybody is noticing that even on low times, the trains are full. Some say it’s because of the new trains, other say it’s because of the problems Metrorex had with Alstom, the company which repairs the trains. I haven’t noticed any significant slowdown in the traffic, but obviously the current time between 2 trains (8-12 minutes during non-peak periods) needs to be reduced.
To prove I’m not writing just to pass time, here are two pictures taken by a friend today at Piata Unirii. She said she felt trapped and who can blame her… In the second picture, you can see a passageway that used to be completely empty.
The City hall and the Ministry of Transportation have to realize that urgent investments are needed in the metro systemso it can cope with all the people that use it every day in the hope they will escape the craziness from the streets above.
UPDATE: Monday morning rush hour at the metro.
Asta se intampla pentru ca se fac lucrari la suprafata gen podul de la carrefour si altele, si din cauza asta transportul de suprafata a devenit foarte suprasolicitat si oamenii migreaza spre metrou. Nu mai zic de traficul cu masina personala care am auzit ca este la fel de nashpa. Deci in concluzie tot traficul din Bucuresti este blocat pentru ca Tariceanu cu nu mai stiu cine vor sa faca aceste poduri/pasaje care sa inbunatateasca traficul in acele zone. Temporar efectul e invers dar vom vedea rezultatele cand se vor termina lucrarile.
http://www.romanialibera.ro/a112005/tariceanu-da-vina-pe-regii-asfalturilor-pentru-traficul-infernal-din-capitala.html
[…] There’s been a lot of fuss these last days about the opening of 4 more stations of the Bucharest subway. Unfortunately, the 19-years long, 175 million euros project was just another leftover from the communist era. Will it help the development of the eastern part of the city? Sure, but it will also cause further crowding in the main exchange stations. […]