Bulgarian political party “Spasi Sofia” (Save Sofia) has put forward a plan to adjust public transport fares in the capital, proposing a flat rate of 80 euro cents per ticket and the digitalization of season passes. Under the initiative, the cost of a 30-minute ride, previously 1.60 leva (around 0.82 euros), would be simplified to 0.80 euros from the start of the new year, should the municipal council approve the reform.

At a press briefing at the Sofia Municipality, party representatives detailed their proposed fare adjustments. The day ticket, currently 4 leva (approximately 2.05 euros), would be rounded to 2 euros, while the night ticket would drop from 2 leva (1.02 euros) to 1 euro. Monthly passes, now priced at 50 leva (25.56 euros), would become 25.50 euros, and the annual card, previously 365 leva (186.62 euros), would be adjusted to 185 euros. The only suggested increase would be for the fine applied to fare dodgers, rising from 40 leva (20.45 euros) to 25 euros.

Councilor Gergin Borisov emphasized the digital component of the proposal, suggesting that transport tickets and passes could be stored on smartphones, making access easier and cheaper. He highlighted that if the reform is adopted after New Year, passengers could save 50 euro cents per one-hour trip.

Boris Bonev noted that discussions on the proposals have involved other political parties and warned against the risk of a sudden price shock. He explained that the technical limitations of the current ticketing system make exact conversions from leva to euros impossible, meaning prices would need to be rounded. Bonev stressed that careful consideration is required regarding the direction of rounding to ensure fairness for commuters.

Bonev also highlighted a governance gap, pointing out that Sofia has lacked a deputy mayor for transport for the past five months. He described the city’s transport system as one of the most capital-intensive parts of the municipal budget, spending over 600 million leva annually to move more than one million passengers daily.