A clean city is the result of perseverance, control and joint efforts. This was stated by the mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev against the backdrop of the garbage crisis in the capital, which had "suffocated" Sofia residents for months.
"Therefore, I call on everyone - citizens, builders, companies and institutions - to be more responsible for the environment in which we live. Let's keep the streets clean, throw away waste in designated places and report violations when we see violations. Every small gesture matters. Because the cleanliness of Sofia does not start with the garbage truck - it starts with our attitude towards the city". the mayor's Facebook post also reads.
And the comments under the post are far from supporting the mayor's opinion, quite the opposite. The most common one is: "Sofia has never been dirtier, more congested and more unpleasant to live in than now!"
A few days ago it became clear that the Sofia Municipality had finalized the procedures for selecting contractors for two of Sofia's zones - Zone 2 (the districts of "Iskar", "Kremikovtsi" and "Pancharevo") and Zone 5 (Vrabnitsa", "Novi Iskar", "Bankya"). The signing of the contracts guarantees long-term stability of waste collection and disposal until 2031. The service will be performed under significantly stricter control and at prices that – 145.72 euros (approximately 285 leva) per ton for household waste and 102.26 euros (approximately 200 leva) per ton for bulky waste.
"Save Sofia" announced that the prices are nearly 70% higher than the municipality's own estimate.
"At the beginning of the waste collection crisis, Mayor Terziev repeatedly promised: "I will not sign at a price higher than the estimate – 167 leva/ton“. This was presented as a "red line" and proof of the new government's determination to confront the garbage mafia. Now SO has signed long-term contracts with "Titan" for Zones 2 and 5 at a price of 285 leva/ton," says "Spasi Sofia".