site.btaStolichen Avtotransport CEO Defends Bus Procurement Following Councillors' Criticism

In a statement released on Thursday, Stolichen Avtotransport CEO Stilyan Manolov said that his company purchases buses according to criteria set by the Sofia Municipal Council. His statement comes after on January 19, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria municipal councillors warned that Stolichen Avtotransport EAD intends to purchase second-hand buses for the capital's public transport network at a much higher price than that offered by German car dealerships.

According to councillors Simeon Stavrev and Boyko Dimitrov, the company was planning to purchase 25 second-hand buses for EUR 94,800 each, even though the actual price was EUR 9,900 per vehicle. Dimitrov concluded: "In other words, even when they [Stolichen Avtotransport] publish the order, it is abundantly clear that this opens the door to huge schemes."

Manolov said that claims of shady deals were speculative and unreliable. He reported that on June 27, 2024, the Sofia Municipal Council decided that the company should procure the supply of twenty-five 18-metre-long buses with an emission standard of Euro V of better. This requirement allowed buses manufactured between 2008 and 2014, when the Euro V environmental standard was in force. Manolov added: "It is precisely in order to encourage the delivery of newer buses that we have included more points in the rules of the procedure for vehicles with a more recent year of manufacture."

Manolov points out that the company is conducting the procedure in accordance with the budget previously set by the Council. In accordance with Decision 274/27.06.2024, the Council allows buses with a minimum Euro V environmental standard to be offered. "The average mileage of buses in Sofia is 60,000 km. Therefore, such buses have a minimum mileage of 700,000 km. It is precisely in order to encourage the delivery of buses with lower mileage that we have included more points in the rules of the procedure for vehicles with smaller mileage," Manolov said.

The head of Stolichen Avtotransport said that the buses to be delivered are different from what Stavrev reported. He added: "On the other hand, Stolichen Avtotransport has no mechanisms to influence the pricing policy of any of our contractors. The prices at which our supplier will purchase buses are also unclear to us."

Manolov concluded that it is his responsibility to make sure that vehicles that are purchased meet the criteria, are affordable and efficient, and do not compromise safety. In his words, claims that better terms can be achieved through direct negotiation show a blatant ignorance of what the law allows.