Orsha: inaction of authorities puts people's lives in danger

Danger to the lives of citizens of Orsha doesn't seem to worry the local officials too much. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the correspondence of the Orsha activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy with the traffic police, Ministry of Emergency Situations and bus fleet over the emergency state of a bridge.

The background to this situation is as follows. One of the two bridges across the Dnieper River in Orsha, the one that is located near the flax mill, is in poor condition. Pedestrian traffic on one of its sides is generally prohibited because of the huge potholes in the coating and dilapidated fencing. The repair of the bridge was included in the investment program of Orsha for 2012, then for 2013, but no works have been carried out so far.

Orsha BCD activists continue to demand from the authorities to overhaul the bridge over the river Dnieper as soon as possible. After an appeal to the regional authorities concerning the repair of the bridge across the Dnieper River in the area of the flax mill, the city and regional afficials started giving formal replies on the matter.

The local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations refused to issue a prescription to the Orsha City Executive Committee concerning the inadmissibility of the traffic of city busses over the bridge and stated that it was outside its jurisdiction.

Traffic police confirmed that the bridge was in poor condition and driving motor vehicles weighing more than 10 tons was banned, but gave no clue why busses weigning 28 tons were allowed to drive by it.

Bus fleet #3 does not want to change the bus routes and continues to endanger the residents of the city, citing transportation scheme approved by the "customer".

BCD activists filed applications to the prosecutor's office asking to give a legal assessment to each answer of the officials.