Bulgaria’s capital Sofia plans 129 million euro acquisition of new public transport vehicles
Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia is proposing 128.8 million euro excluding VAT on acquiring new public transport vehicles, including trams, trolleybuses and electric buses, according to a July 8 announcement by Sofia municipality.
The municipality is taking the necessary financial actions to ensure the implementation of the programme for the renovation of public transport and the delivery of new vehicles for the capital, the statement said.
This is provided for in the report submitted to the Sofia city council on increasing the capital of Stolichne Elektrotransport sole-owner joint stock company through a cash contribution from the sole owner of the capital, the municipality.
The report was submitted by deputy mayors Georgi Klisurski and Viktor Chaushev.
It is planned that the municipality will make a cash contribution by issuing new shares, and the funds will go solely for advance payments for the purchase of new vehicles.
“The proposal enables the Sofia municipality to continue the consistent policy of modernising public transport and building a higher-quality and more efficient transport system in Sofia,” Chaushev said.
The measure aims at investing in the programme for the renewal of rolling stock and development of the accompanying infrastructure of land transport in Sofia municipality for the period 2024 – 2030.
Public procurements have already been carried out by the Stolichni Elektrotransport, and contracts have been concluded with selected contractors for some of them – the delivery of 20 new low-floor trams; 40 new 18-meter trolleybuses; 35 new 12-meter trolleybuses; and 50 new electric buses – 35 standard and 15 articulated, as well as charging infrastructure for them.
Renewing public transport vehicles is key to increasing its attractiveness, the municipality said.
Currently, only 67 of the more than 200 trams are within the standard 30-year service life, and the rest are significantly older, the report says.
The new vehicles will provide more comfortable and affordable travel, lower noise levels, air conditioning and the opportunity to expand the network of environmentally friendly electric transport, the municipality said.
The total value of the supply contracts amounts to nearly 128.8 million euro excluding VAT, and implementing them requires securing advance payments in accordance with the concluded contracts.
It is proposed to increase the capital of Stolichne Elektrotransport by up to 41.8 million euro, which will ensure the necessary financial resources to fulfill the commitments undertaken and prevent the risk of termination of the contracts due to lack of funding, the municipality said.
(Photo: sofia.bg)
