Sofia Mayor Terziev on the BGN 15 Million Allocation for Public Transport: A Short-Term Fix and Crippled Measures

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev on May 19 commented that the BGN 15 million allocated by the Council of Ministers to increase the salaries of public transport workers will not solve the issue in the long term.

• The state provides additional BGN 15 million for the capital's public transport

"We are witnessing yet another episode of the same series — the same people creating a problem, and then solving it in a way that is neither sustainable nor well thought out. What’s often left unsaid amidst the theatrics is what exactly these BGN 15 million are supposed to resolve. These funds come in today, hastily, to patch up a problem, but no one is saying that the municipality will need to find that same amount again next year, and the year after, to sustain this raise," Terziev said.

Following the meeting at the minicipality, no agreement was reached, and Sofia remains without ground public transport.

He stressed that a sustainable approach is necessary, which is currently lacking. He also emphasised that discussions should include not just salaries, but also working conditions, rolling stock, and transport infrastructure.

“It’s easy to make promises, but if you don’t do the math, the problems will come. What the unions are demanding — and what some city councillors are inclined to support — will lead to a situation where, come October, there won’t be enough money to pay salaries. Then we’ll go back to playing the role of saviour again. Since the municipality ‘can’t perform magic’ and ‘can’t find the money,’ the saviour on a white horse will come again to find the money at the state level, where the bigger purse is," Terziev added.

In his view, this decision does not serve the public interest.

“I cannot accept this approach that relies on short-term, makeshift measures while the actual problems remain unresolved,” the mayor concluded.