Public Transport Halted, Metro Continues Amid Intensifying Traffic Jams in Sofia

On the second day of the transport strike in Sofia, massive traffic jams disrupted morning commutes across the Bulgarian capital. Commuters faced kilometre-long queues as workers continued to protest, demanding higher wages. The demonstration began on May 14, when Sofia Municipality declared a non-school day. Despite the ongoing strike, schools remained open on May 15, causing further congestion as many parents opted to drive their children. Social media was flooded with reports of severe delays, with some users sarcastically remarking that at least the absence of public transport buses wasn’t adding to the gridlock. Others shared accounts of hour-long waits for taxis and warnings of traffic jams extending from key intersections to the city outskirts.

Sofia Municipality urged school principals to be lenient with students who arrived late. Meanwhile, metro services continued uninterrupted, with additional trains deployed on lines M1, M2, M3, and M4 to cope with increased passenger numbers. The interval between trains on lines M1 and M4 was reduced to less than three minutes in the busiest sections and less than six minutes on other stretches. Line 2 saw intervals reduced to under six minutes during rush hour and under nine minutes during off-peak hours. Line 3 trains ran at intervals of 4:30 minutes before 9:30 a.m., then at six-minute intervals until 4:30 p.m. The metro management assured residents that service would continue without interruption and encouraged commuters to check the official website and social media channels for real-time updates.