site.btaSofia Introduces Temporary Green Ticket for Public Transport Due to Air Pollution

Sofia will introduce a so-called green daily ticket worth BGN 1 for travel in public transport, as well as free parking in the parking lots near metro stations for Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, said the press centre of Sofia Municipality on Wednesday.

The measures are introduced in connection with the measured excess of fine particle matter in the air over Sofia, as well as with regard to the air pollution forecast for the next two days. For the first time, the decision to introduce a green ticket is taken early the day before in order to give transport companies enough time to prepare, the Municipality stressed. It urged residents to not use their cars for the next two days and use public transport instead, and indicated that the recommendation for sensitive groups and children to reduce outdoor activities remains in effect.

The green ticket can be purchased with validation of a bank card in the public transport vehicle, from the drivers, online through the web portal and from the ticket offices.

Sofia Municipality also emphasized that it takes additional measures as part of the overall approach to dealing with air pollution, noting that since January 1, more than 150 inspections have been carried out at various sites throughout Sofia, which have been identified as sources of air pollution. More than 1,200 notifications have been sent for violation of the ban on the entry of cars into the area of ​​the small ring in the capital centre, adding that since the introduction of the low-emission zone on December 1, the number of offenders has halved and currently stands at around 2,000 per day.