By the date of "Eurovision" 2027 next year, according to my information, the metro line to Arena 8888" will not have reached there, although hard work is being done. However, there are enough other transport options in Sofia to ensure normal movement in the city. He stated this on Radio FOCUS in the program "Metronome" the chairman of the BSP group in the SOS Ivan Takov.
Takov is also the chairman of the transport committee. He stated that in addition to the fact that a committee for the organization has been established at the state level, preparations are also being made in the Sofia Municipal Council.
"If Sofia is chosen as the host, which I think is very likely, then a lot of effort will really have to be made," he said and added that the goal is to avoid unnecessary tension between citizens and residents of Sofia, whose hectic daily life follows a different agenda and does not rely on "Eurovision".
Takov appealed during the organization of the contest that communication between the municipal council, the mayor and the various institutions be at a high level.
"I think that very good communication will really be needed here in order to hold such a large-scale event and at the necessary level," he said.
"Sofia has a really serious resource of different types of transport and means of transport in order to ensure normal movement to and from the "8888" Arena, which is probably the only suitable terrain for holding such an event," added Takov.
When asked how the problems with ground transport will be solved next year, he said:
"This is already the big issue, which is not directly related to the holding of "Eurovision" and which for two and a half years in the Transport Commission I have been trying to put on the agenda at an accelerated pace – both of the mayor and the administration, so that things start happening. Because at the beginning of the mandate, with complete unanimity, the Municipal Council adopted a program for replacing ground urban transport - buses, trolleybuses, trams, electric buses – for over one billion leva," said Takov.
The municipal councilor added that a large part of the procedures have already been carried out - for new trams, trolleybuses and buses.
"Unfortunately, things with financing are slowing down. In November, we tasked the mayor of the capital to look for various options, including joint financing for the implementation of some of these orders. Unfortunately, six months later, we still have no specifics. At the last meeting of the municipal council, I raised this issue, because after we have selected contractors for the delivery of trams and trolleybuses, there is a deadline in which if the contracts are not signed and the advances are not paid, the orders will have to be carried out again. And such a large-scale order takes a year, a year and a half. I expressed my concern at the meeting of the municipal council that if we continue like this, not a single vehicle will be delivered during this term. Especially with trams, where it takes between 2 and 3 years from order to delivery."