On December 16, 2025, the Federation of Transport Trade Unions and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) organized a round table on the theme "Electrification of Urban Transport - a Path to Green and Sustainable Mobility"

Representatives of local administrations from Ruse, Stara Zagora, Pleven, representatives of "Metropolitan", "Stolichen elektrotransport", "Stolichen avtotransport", Burgasbus, "Trolleybusen transport-Pleven", Municipal Transport - Ruse, Todor Kableshkov University of Transport, UNWE, etc. took part.

Unfortunately, there was no representative of Sofia Municipality at the event, which once again shows the lack of sustainable social dialogue and commitment on their part regarding topics of importance for the sector. Their absence deprived the participants of the opportunity to directly exchange opinions and good practices and emphasized the need for more active participation of municipal institutions in such professional forums.

The forum was moderated by the Vice President of CITUB, Ognyan Atanasov, who touched upon issues related to the transition to electromobility as a key element of European and national policies for decarbonisation of transport. "It has a strong social dimension as it affects access to mobility, transport costs and working conditions in the sector. Its effective implementation requires an integrated approach that combines environmental, social and labor policies,"  he pointed out.

The transition to cleaner, more efficient and more reliable transport systems is not just a technological or organizational challenge. It is a strategic process supported by European cohesion policies. In recent years, it is the Cohesion Funds that became the main engine for the modernization of the urban transport infrastructure in Bulgaria – from the large-scale development of the metro system, through the introduction of electric buses and trolleybuses, to the construction of charging stations, intelligent traffic management systems and energy efficiency solutions. Thus Plamen Dimitrov – President of CITUB, opened the round table and explained that without the Cohesion Policy our country would not have had the opportunity to renew bus fleets, modernize trolleybus networks, reduce the energy consumption of rolling stock and sustainably reduce emissions.

Dimitrov pointed out that there are a number of other opportunities for funding the development of electric transport, which will be discussed within the framework of the forum. Among them is the development of public transport using green hydrogen, with financial instruments offered by the Just Transition Fund in the Stara Zagora region with a total resource of 134.6 million euros.

The President of the Federation of Transport Trade Unions Eng. Aleksandar Shopov pointed out that the last years clearly show that electric transport systems are no longer the future, but the present, which requires strategic planning, targeted investments and good coordination between all participants in the process. "Data from transport operators in the country confirm this trend – in some Bulgarian cities the share of electric vehicles in public transport already exceeds 40%, and the energy efficiency of rolling stock is continuously improving. We have concrete examples of reducing specific energy consumption from 281 kWh per 100 km to about 161 kWh per 100 km within a decade – a result that clearly shows the importance of modernization, intelligent management and new technologies," said Shopov, adding that a comprehensive approach is applied in a number of municipalities, which includes building charging infrastructure, own electricity production from renewable sources, energy storage systems and digital management of transport processes. It is such integrated solutions that allow for higher energy independence, lower operating costs and better resilience of transport operators.

Eng. Aleksandar Shopov emphasized that the path to accelerated electrification is also associated with a number of challenges – the need for significant investments, adequate charging and energy infrastructure, digitalization of management, as well as ensuring a smooth and just transition for workers in the sector. "This is precisely where the role of social dialogue, of shared experience between municipalities and of good national and European practices is of crucial importance. Trade unions have a key function in this process – as a guarantor for the protection of labor rights, for the participation of workers in the planning of changes and for the promotion of policies for retraining and development of new "green" skills. Their active involvement is a prerequisite for technological progress to go hand in hand with social sustainability and security of employment. Examples from cities like Pleven and Burgas show that when there is a consistent policy and partnership between institutions and transport operators, progress is entirely possible," he pointed out.

In addition, the President of the FTTU added that the active participation of CITUB and the Federation of Transport Trade Unions is particularly important – both for defending the interests of workers and for participating in the creation of sustainable policies that combine the modernization of the sector with decent working conditions, job security and human capital development. "Our goal is to outline realistic steps and concrete solutions for cleaner, more convenient and more efficient urban transport," he explained.

Good practices from the cities of Burgas, Pleven and Stara Zagora were presented. The Deputy Director of "Burgasbus" – Eng. Lyubomir Atanasov, presented the development of the company in the period from 2012 to today. In his presentation, he focused on key stages in the modernization of urban transport in Burgas, including the introduction of an electronic ticketing system, the construction of a photovoltaic power plant, as well as the total renewal of the fleet.

Eng. Angel Nestorov from "Trolleybusen transport – Pleven" acquainted the participants with the development of the company, the status of the transport infrastructure, the implemented technologies and the key stages in the period 2014–2025. In his presentation, he also introduced the planned future projects, including the delivery of new vehicles aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of public transport. A special focus was placed on the upcoming introduction in 2026 of a cashless payment system in rolling stock via debit cards, which will facilitate passengers and modernize the service.

Georgi Stanchev – Manager of "Trolleybusni i avtobusni prevozi" – Stara Zagora, presented the activities and main directions in the work of the company. Among the most serious challenges for the company remains the shortage of qualified personnel, which hinders the normal functioning and development of the service. In the near future, a procedure for introducing a card-based payment system is about to be launched, as well as the construction of a photovoltaic park in order to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs. Regarding hydrogen technologies, the project is currently frozen, but is expected to be developed in a subsequent stage depending on available funding and national policies in the sector.

Eng. Aleksandar Shopov emphasized the importance of collective bargaining and the signed agreements with the mayors of the municipalities of Varna and Ruse, which are a key tool for ensuring stability and predictability in the public transport sector. They ensure protection of income, working conditions and social benefits of workers in the face of rapid technological and organizational changes. Through these agreements, CITUB and FTTU assert the commitment of local authorities to investment in human capital, training and job preservation. It is local social partnership that turns transport modernization into a fair and sustainable process oriented both towards citizens and the people working in the system.

Finally, Eng. Shopov added that a document with concrete proposals will be prepared and sent to all participants in order to receive their additions, comments and recommendations. After summarizing them, the document will be finalized and officially sent, as well as presented to the responsible institutions, in order to serve as a basis for subsequent actions and decisions.