Municipal councilor in the SOS from VMRO Carlos Contrera sent letters to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport requesting an increase in the state subsidy for public urban transport in Sofia Municipality. This was reported by the party's press center.
Contrera points out that the 2026 Budget provides for a state subsidy of 70.3 million euros for the capital's urban transport. He believes that the funds are extremely insufficient. The municipal councilor proposes that the subsidy be increased by at least 10 million euros, which would compensate for the increase in the price of diesel fuel, natural gas, electricity, spare parts, materials and other operating costs.
In addition, Contrera insists that the state officially confirm to the Sofia Municipality that it will also cover the costs of metro security, carried out under the contract with the Sofia Police Department, in the amount of 11 million euros. The state cannot commission activities of national importance and then have the financial burden remain at the expense of the Sofia Municipality budget, he believes.
Data shows that diesel fuel prices have increased by about 20% compared to wholesale levels in 2025 due to the international situation, including the conflict in Iran and the difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz region. For the period January-March 2026, the costs of diesel fuel for the capital's motor transport increased by 671,948 euros compared to the same period of the previous year with practically the same mileage.
In May 2026, the costs of diesel fuel were 86% higher compared to May 2025. It is expected that by the end of the year, the costs for this component alone will increase by over 1.2 million euros, with the total cost of diesel fuel reaching approximately 9 million euros.
The price of natural gas is also increasing. The decisions of the Energy Regulatory Commission for the last few months show a consistent increase in prices, and the trend in European markets is also upward. On the Dutch gas exchange, the price has increased from 41.2 euros to 51.3 euros, with forecasts for further growth due to the filling of European gas storage facilities and the expected indexation of contracts with SOCAR.
At current prices, the estimated costs of "Stolichne Autotrans" EAD for natural gas in 2026 will exceed 6.2 million euros, and with the expected price increase of at least 15%, they could reach over 7.2 million euros.
An increase is also reported for electricity on the free market. Based on the first five months of 2026, the forecast indicates an average increase in costs by about 10% compared to 2025. The average price of electricity for the period January - June is approximately 105 euros/MWh.
Additional pressure on the budget is exerted by the specificity of electric transport and the metro, which consume significant amounts of electricity in the early morning and late evening hours, when prices on the free market also remain high.
According to Contrera, without a timely update of state funding, transport companies will be put under serious financial pressure. According to him, this may lead to restrictions in their activities and make it difficult to maintain the quality of service. He points out that the shortage of funds cannot be compensated solely from the budget of the Sofia Municipality.