The caretaker government has allocated 18 million euros to support bus carriers on intercity lines. This was announced at a briefing in the Council of Ministers by the caretaker Minister of Transport Korman Ismailov.
He recalled that about ten days ago, measures were adopted to subsidize transport in large municipalities. Ismailov specified that the scope of the measures does not include unprofitable lines to small settlements, since they are subsidized annually by the state and double financing cannot be allowed. The funds will reach directly to the municipalities that are the assignors of transport services on bus lines from approved transport schemes, said the Minister of Transport. He said that the distribution will be based on current information about municipalities and planned mileage for this year.
This measure prevents the closure of routes and a sharp increase in ticket and card prices, emphasized Korman Ismailov. In order to prevent speculative price increases despite the subsidy, a mechanism has been introduced to monitor prices and prevent overcompensation, which is also prohibited by European legislation, he added. Ismailov emphasized that Bulgaria is a market economy, every carrier has the right to adjust its prices, but must bear in mind that in the event of an unjustified increase, the amount of assistance provided will be reduced.