The Ministry of Interior has strengthened its technical fleet with the delivery of 30 new light-duty vehicles, commonly referred to as “banicharki,” intended for the maintenance and servicing of siren systems across regional and municipal structures. The keys to the vehicles were officially handed over by Georgi Borisov, Director of the Ministry’s “Communication and Information Systems” Directorate.

The handover ceremony took place at the Garage 10 building of the Ministry of Interior, located at 21A “Lieutenant Colonel Kalitin” Street, and was attended by Deputy Minister Filip Popov. Popov highlighted the importance of updating the ministry’s technical capabilities to ensure a rapid and effective response during emergencies.

While these 30 vehicles have been delivered, the Ministry has yet to finalize a contract for the purchase of 405 Skoda SUVs from Bohemia Ekipauto, the importer that won a previous tender, according to a search of the Public Procurement Register by Dir.bg.

Last year, the Ministry had announced plans to acquire 575 passenger cars, 405 off-road vehicles, and 128 motorcycles, with a total budget exceeding 126 million leva (€64.5 million), financed from traffic fines. However, the tender for the cars was initially canceled because the committee did not select the lowest-priced bid, and the motorcycle procurement was halted due to only one applicant.

The winning bid for the 405 SUVs is priced at 95,940 leva (€49,200) per unit, totaling nearly 39 million leva (€20 million). These vehicles are intended to expand the Ministry’s operational capacity and modernize its emergency response infrastructure.