Bulgaria: A Serious Financial Crisis Threatens Public Transport in the Capital

The Sofia Municipality warns of a serious financial crisis and is seeking dialogue and support from the state due to low revenues from public transport.

Public transport is a social activity and the state must help, otherwise, public transport must be reduced.

Transport unions do not rule out protests if there is no dialogue

The state compensations for the public transport of Sofia for 2022 should amount to BGN 178 million in order to avoid measures such as thinning of lines.

This is demanded by representatives of the transport unions and municipal councilors.

The financial pressure is very high and does not depend on the citizens, nor on those working in public transport, nor on the institutions, explained the deputy chairman of the transport commission in Sofia Municipality Zafir Zarkov.

"We are going into the fifth wave, it is not clear when the pandemic will end, and we have not received help from the state so far," said Zafir Zarkov.

The crisis in public transport is very severe and the municipality has allocated additional funds several times but is already expecting additional funding from the state.

Public transport is socially oriented, explained the chairman of the transport commission Carlos Contreras and added that they want a dialogue with the ministers.

He called on the state to increase its share of equalization subsidies.

/BNT

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