The article reads that a lot of people associate Plovdiv with beautiful hills, the international Plovdiv Fair, the Old Town, the Alyosha monument; as well as the Kamenitsa beer, the local football derby “Botev” vs “Locomotive”, or Stefka Kostadinova.
But Plovdiv is much more than that image. The citizens of the city are used to take special pride in its eight-millennium history but they also are abe to see its dark side of numerous problems, the article goes on. Problems such as heavy traffic and huge traffic jams (not only in rush hours), as the streets are just not capable to receive the abundance of transportation vehicles riding around.
Public transportation is irregular, streets are far from being in decent condition, sidewalks are even worse. Insufficient parking lots, buildings that could be restored to look much more attractive, only adds up to the list of negative sides, the critical article reads.
Local politicians keep on excusing themselves with lack of financing but it seems like the city is not getting the adequate advantage of its two unique strategic benefits: the perfect geographic location and the huge tourism resources, as well as its real potential to be an industrial parks or logistic centers’ hub.