At a ceremony today, the new electric trams were presented, purchased with funds under Operational Program “Environment 2014-2020” for the modernization of urban transport in the city of Sofia.

Atanas Pekanov, Deputy Prime Minister for the Management of European Funds, Rositsa Karamfilova, Minister of Environment and Water, and Mayor of Sofia Municipality Yordanka Fandakova attended the event. A guest was Agnes Monfre, Head of Department “Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia” at the General Directorate “Regional and Urban Policy” of the European Commission.

The new 29 low-floor trams will be operated by “Stolichen Elektrotransport” EAD on the existing tram lines No. 4, 5, and 18 of the Metropolitan City Transport. The operation of electric vehicles will lead to an improvement in air quality, more accessibility and comfort for passengers, as well as a reduction in operating costs.

“The goal is clear - we need to make our cities cleaner and our workplaces greener by implementing innovative and green solutions for public transport. A large-scale transformation of the way we perceive urban transport is underway, and I believe that today’s project makes a step in the right direction,” said Atanas Pekanov, Deputy Prime Minister for the Management of European Funds. He noted that this is another successful project implemented with European funding, the results of which are visible and tangible and contribute directly to people’s quality of life.

The new trams are low-floor and air-conditioned, with a platform for prams and people with reduced mobility. The vehicles are equipped with a stop button for disembarking and a voice signal for blind people. They are equipped with a highly efficient electric heating system and two separate air conditioning systems - for cooling the passenger compartment and the driver’s cabin.

“We must be aware that every day tens of thousands of citizens will use a faster, better quality, and more comfortable service, while at the same time as a result we will all enjoy the benefit of living in a healthier and cleaner environment. If this is the way, let’s follow it in a sustainable manner,” said the Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova. She added that the sustainable policy for permanent improvement of air quality started in the previous programing period and will continue in the current one within Program “Environment” 2021-2027.

Agnes Monfre from the General Directorate “Regional and Urban Policy” of the European Commission welcomed the project and noted that this is the way to a greener and smarter Sofia, which is growing but not aging and is ever closer to its residents.

The delivery of the new low-floor trams is financed under a project to improve the air quality with Sofia Municipality as the beneficiary. The investment is in the amount of over 117 million BGN, of which over 97 million BGN is a grant provided under the Operational Program “Environment 2014-2020”. This is one of three projects within this program for a total of 145 electric vehicles for public transport in the capital. With the use of modern ecological urban transport, the amount of fine dust particles is expected to decrease by 4.81 tons per year.