Public Transport Increasingly Unpopular in Bulgaria's Congested Capital

Fewer and fewer people are riding on the public buses, trolley buses, and trams in Sofia. Photo by BGNES

The number of commuters using the public transport in Sofia has declined despite the staggering population growth of the Bulgarian capital as more and more people are switching to cars.

The commuters using the city buses, trams, and trolley buses in Sofia declined by 12% in 2010 compared to 2002, according to preliminary data released Friday by the Sofia Urban Mobility Center based on a count of public transport passengers carried out in March 2010.

At the same time, the number of commuters taking the metro every day has increased by 318% year-on-year after the launch of the first complete subway line in Sofia in the fall of 2009.

In March 2010, a total of 1.6 million people commuted daily using the land-based public transport in Sofia. Of these, 714 000 use urban buses, 120 000 - suburban buses, 210 000 – trolley buses, and 370 000 – trams. A total of 187 000 commuters ride on the single line of the Sofia Metro.

Of the three land-based means of public transport in Sofia, trolley buses have registered the smallest decline over the last 8 years – the number of commuters riding them daily is down by only 7% in 2010 compared to 2002. According to the Urban Mobility Center, this is due to the fact that the trolley buses cover the busiest downtown streets in Sofia.

At the same time, however, the number of people riding on the public buses and trams has dropped by 22% and 23% respectively in the last eight years.

A total of 792 buses, trams, and trolley buses transport commuters in Sofia and the suburbs every single day.

Official statistics set the population of the Bulgarian capital at about 1.25 million; however, unofficial data place this number at over 2-2.5 million people. This has generally resulted in horrific traffic jams which the Sofia Municipality is hoping to rectify by expanding the metro and building overpasses.

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