Sofia's public transport system faces significant changes as a commission voted to close certain night bus routes. The decision will see night lines H3 and H4 being completely discontinued, while H1 and H2 will only operate on Fridays and Saturdays. The decision was met with criticism from Gergin Borisov, a councilor from "Spasi Sofia" (Save Sofia) who highlighted that the number of passengers using night transport has doubled in the past year. He pointed out that cutting services, especially given the shortage of drivers, would not improve the situation. Borisov also criticized the comments made by Vanya Grigorova, Carlos Contrera, and others from GERB, who supported the closure, arguing that those without access to a car after 11 p.m. would suffer.

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The decision impacts several areas in Sofia, leaving parts of the city without night transport. Residents of Ovcha Kupel, Krasna Polyana, Poduyane, Levski, Druzhba 1, Druzhba 2, Gotse Delchev, Borovo, and Hipodruma will be especially affected. Areas like Lyulin, Obelya, Nadezhda, and Mladost will only see night transport on weekends. The decision was adopted by the municipal council’s transport committee, with support from several political parties, including GERB, BSP, VMRO, TISP, and Blue Sofia.

Meanwhile, protests within Sofia’s transport sector are planned, as workers are unhappy with the lack of a valid Collective Labor Agreement. Employees of the capital’s transport company will protest tomorrow, beginning at 5 a.m. at the "Zemlyane" bus garage. This protest will halt bus movements on 26 different lines, including popular routes like 102, 83, 11, and 54. The Federation of Transport Unions, which organized the protest, states that negotiations for a new labor agreement have been unsuccessful since December 17. As a result, workers fear that their additional benefits may be jeopardized. The union also expressed concern over the shortage of staff in the sector, which is being exacerbated by the lack of a new labor agreement.

In response to the protests, Vanya Grigorova, a municipal councilor from "BSP for Bulgaria," argued that there was no valid reason for the strike. She called on both unions and employers to engage in dialogue to improve conditions for workers and enhance the city’s public transport services. However, other figures, like Ekaterina Yordanova from GERB, criticized the Federation of Transport Unions for organizing the protest, stating that the situation could have been avoided if negotiations had been handled more efficiently.

The protests come at a time when the capital’s transport system is already facing operational disruptions.

Sources:

• Spasi Sofia
• Novini.bg
• Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)