Government Allocates Additional 15 Million BGN for Sofia Public Transport Subsidy

The government will provide an additional 15 million leva to supplement the subsidy for Sofia’s public transport. This was agreed during a meeting between Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and trade union leaders on May 19.

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev did not attend the meeting.

The unions stated they cannot commit to ending the civil disobedience actions at this time, as everything depends on the response of the mayor.

"An additional 15 million leva has been allocated to the public transport subsidy in Sofia. With these funds, we are in a position to address the current crisis, but this in no way resolves the overarching problems of Sofia’s public transportation system. Upcoming sessions of the committees in the Sofia Municipal Council will need to approve the financial framework for public transport based on these revised parameters. That could allow for a resolution at this stage. Whether the civil disobedience will be halted remains to be seen. We hope that the high school graduation exams in Sofia will proceed without disruption," said Dimitar Manolov, President of the Confederation of Labour "Podkrepa".

If necessary, "Podkrepa" trade union and the Federation of Transport Workers are prepared to assist with individual transportation for students who are unable to reach their schools. Manolov added that he sincerely hopes it will not come to that.

Source: BNT