BulTrans ‘s yearly conferences began in 2009 and have grown rapidly to become the most prestigious convention for rail, road and air transport in Bulgaria. The increasing audience of professionals and their efforts the expand the awareness of the conference are vividly show by the increasing international interest every year.
This case study forms the second instalment of a miniseries, providing insights into actions taken by cities of varying scales, locations and cycling modal share.
Sofia has just signed a EUR 42.5 million contract for the introduction of smart e-ticketing in public transport. The project is financed by the Center for Urban Mobility, Sofia’s municipal company in charge of public transport.
SUMP training for Bulgarian cities/municipalities or city-owned companies
Training topics:
- General introduction to SUMPs / How do SUMPs mesh with statutory land use plans
- Communication and stakeholder involvement of the new SUMP - measures
- Urban Transport Roadmaps tool
- Monitoring and evaluation
The training is free of charge!
Travel and subsistence of select trainees is covered by PROSPERITY project.
Preparing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) is a complex undertaking. Guidelines developed with the European Commission's support offer concrete suggestions on how to apply the SUMP concept and prepare an urban mobility strategy that builds on a clear vision for the sustainable development of an urban area.
The city of Burgas started the implementation of a bike-sharing service in 2012 and was the first Bulgarian city to include the practice as part of an integrated urban mobility policy. The initial project, "Cycling City – a Model of Modern Urban Mobility", was financed by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and aimed to increase infrastructure for and access to non-motorised forms of transport. Since its introduction, the system has been extended and constantly improved; e-bikes are envisaged for the near future.
Plans to extend the public transport network in Sofia received a boost when the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) announced €86.6m of funding for extending the city's third metro line.
The money will used in the second stage of its construction, which began last year following an initial €368m grant from the ERDF. This aims to build approximately 4km of new line and four new stations, which will link the city centre to the Sofia ring road via the Ovcha Koupel district in the south-western part of the city.
On 23 and 24 March, Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc will discuss with public and private institutions how to boost investment in the transport sector at a conference in Sofia.
The conference will focus on investment opportunities in the Cohesion Member States and will also address the cooperation with the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partners.