Citizens' Initiative Calls for Free Metro in Sofia

By mid-2014, with all new expansions, it is expected that Sofia's subway will be used by nearly half million passengers each day. Photo by BGNES

A citizens' initiative named "Metro for Citizens" has proposed the subway in Bulgaria's capital Sofia to become free of charge.

The peculiar demand follows the news that the prices of monthly metro passes in Sofia are  increasing with the opening of the second metro diameter.

The citizens have argued that tickets will never be able to return the investments.

"The cost of the first diameter alone was BGN 3.5 B, the second one costs an additional BGN 2.5 B. This money will not be gathered by selling tickets," Dimitar Dimitrov, a representative of the organization, has told the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

Dimitrov has pointed out that the number of metro journeys has dropped by 20% over the last year, while "trams remain a better and cheaper means of transportation in Sofia."

The civil movement representative also believes that metro stations are located too close from each other in Sofia, not allowing the trains to gain enough speed.

The second line of the subway in Sofia will be officially launched on August 31, in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

The second line will have 11 stations and will connect the districts of Obelya and Lozenets. The line has a capacity of 130 000 passengers a day. It will be served by 11 new energy saving subway trains.

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