Public transport services in Sofia are set to halt for one hour on Friday due to ongoing protests by hundreds of employees and trade unions demanding the implementation of a promised bonus system for workers in municipal transport companies. The protesters are dissatisfied with the failure to introduce the bonus system, which they expected to be in effect since October 1.

If their demands are not addressed, the workers plan to proceed with the planned strike, during which all public transport services will cease for one hour. Deputy Mayor for Transport Iliyan Pavlov assured the protesters that the bonus system would be established within this year. He emphasized that there is no disagreement regarding its introduction, as the system was developed collaboratively with the unions. However, further discussions are necessary to align it with objective needs and indicators.

During the protest, Pavlov reiterated the necessity for the state to fulfill its financial obligations to the Sofia Municipality, which currently amounts to approximately 40 million leva for the year. He pointed out that the state had mandated municipalities to sell free transport cards to specific passenger categories and had promised to cover the resulting deficit.

Pavlov indicated that clarity regarding the state’s commitment to Bulgarian municipalities would enable precise calculations for both the bonus system for the current year and the budget for 2025, which is currently under development.