The political party Spasi Sofia (Save Sofia) has strongly opposed the proposed discontinuation of night transport in Sofia, a plan presented to the Sofia Municipal Council by Carlos Contrera and Vanya Grigorova. According to the leader of Spasi Sofia, Boris Bonev, the proposal is either a harmful attack on the city's residents or an attempt to lobby on behalf of taxi companies. Bonev emphasized that this change would deprive Sofia residents of an affordable and safe alternative for nighttime travel, forcing them to pay significantly higher taxi fares instead of using buses.

At a press conference, Spasi Sofia presented data showing a significant rise in the popularity of night buses in Sofia. In just six months, the number of passengers on these buses has tripled. The H1 bus line, for example, ranks as the 12th most efficient in the entire city based on passenger numbers. Bonev further argued that maintaining night transport benefits all residents of the Bulgarian capital, the local economy, businesses, and the cultural and tourism sectors of the city.

Iliyan Pavlov, the Deputy Mayor for Transport in Sofia, also addressed the issue, explaining that while the city faces a long-standing shortage of drivers, only 8 out of 1,100 Sofia Public Transport drivers are assigned to operate the night bus lines. He argued that eliminating night services would not solve the problem but rather suggested optimizing inefficient routes.

Comparisons with other European cities show that Sofia has far fewer night transport options. While Sofia currently operates only four night bus lines, cities like Belgrade, Bucharest, and Prague offer many more. Pavlov mentioned that instead of cutting existing services, it would be more beneficial to expand the network, such as by adding a night line to the airport. Bonev warned that the proposal to reduce night transport could harm Sofia's residents and urged the municipal council to reconsider the decision until the results of an ongoing analysis are completed.

Sources:

• OFFNews
• Spasi Sofia