site.btaSofia Mayor Terziev Maps Tight Options in Bid to Halt Transport Strike

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev said on Thursday that a lengthy meeting with trade unions examined what is realistically possible amid protests by public-transport workers.

The participants reviewed the draft budget, capital programme and the limits on municipal action, Terziev said, adding that the room for manoeuvre is narrower than public debate suggests. Several ways to lift revenue were explored, yet each risked triggering fresh problems elsewhere in the city’s systems, he cautioned.

Deputy Mayor for Transport Ivan Vasilev noted a new proposal: alongside the earlier idea of a BGN 100 rise plus a 100% bonus for drivers and service staff, the city could instead grant a flat BGN 180 increase to all workers in the four municipal transport companies. “That would, however, blunt the policy aimed at attracting drivers and service staff,” Vasilev said.

For the most acute post—driver in Sofia Public Transport—the average monthly wage is BGN 3,900, with a starting net salary of about BGN 2,000, Terziev said, stressing that the higher figure reflects overtime.

The mayor added that suspending paid-parking zones if the protests persist is under discussion with the Urban Mobility Centre, but "such a step would also incur costs". 

Allowing cars to use bus lanes during a possible protest on Friday is also being considered, yet current legislation does not allow it, he said.

On May 14, 2025 surface-transport employees in Sofia launched an indefinite strike that halted buses, trams and trolleybuses after talks on wage rises collapsed. Organised by the CITUB and Podkrepa federations under the slogan “Decent Work – Decent Pay! No Transport, No Economy!”, the action follows an April 14 protest and seeks a minimum 15% pay increase and an additional BGN 40.7 million in state funding for public transport. Sofia Municipality has so far offered a 5% rise, arguing budget limits, while the national government maintains that wage costs are a municipal responsibility. Only the metro continues to operate, running extra trains. Schools have been closed, and earlier on Thursday the unions said they had failed to reach agreement with Mayor Vasil Terziev, leaving negotiations deadlocked.