site.btaRecord Budget for Public Transport Planned in Sofia

Sofia will have a record budget of over BGN 500 million for public transport in 2024, said Ivan Vasilev, Sofia Deputy Mayor for Finance, at a press conference on Friday. 

Vasilev said that there will be no price increase for cards and tickets, while the quality of the service will improve nevertheless. He also stated that for the first time in five years, the economic framework for public transportation will be submitted together with the budget of the Metropolitan Municipality.

"We are a team that keeps its promises", Vasilev said, adding that there will also be financial means for the wage increase of workers in public transportation that was agreed by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev with trade unions in February. Vasilev also informed that the security of the metro will be carried out by the Interior Ministry after an agreement was reached between the Metropolitan Municipality and the Finance Ministry for the state to take over the payment of metro security worth BGN 17 million.

Deputy Mayor for Transport Iliyan Pavlov said that it was not an easy task to find BGN 500 million and informed that the funds come from three sources - own revenues from the Urban Mobility Centre and the sale of vehicle documents (BGN 183 million), compensations and subsidies from the Metropolitan Municipality (BGN 189 million) and BGN 155 million from the state budget.

Andrei Zografski, Deputy Chairman of the Transport Committee of the Capital Municipal Council, said that the municipal budget foresees an increase in corridors dedicated only to public transport, which means new bus lanes and bounded tram routes. "We are working intensively to improve and synchronise the timetables of the lines and we are about to introduce new lines", Zografski added. Seven dormitories will also be built for those employed in urban transportation, in order to solve their housing problem.