Ticket Vending Machines in Sofia “Saved” BGN 70,000 from People’s Change

For four years ticket vending machines in the city trams and trolls have damaged the passengers with 70 000 BGN. This is the sum of the non-refunded change.

Hundreds of passengers in Sofia face this problem every day. They should have a finely prepared amount of BGN 1,60. Otherwise, they receive a ticket, but not a change.

"I always look to put the exact amount, if I don't have and go to the ticket gentleman, various remarks start," a passenger in the public transport told bTV.

The billing system was introduced in 2008 when the ticket price was BGN 1.

10 years ago, the billing conditions were the same. Now there are BGN 2 coins that cannot go through the ticket vending machine. If a person has a BGN 2 coin, they need to buy a ticket from the tram-driver, not from the ticket vending machine.

"If, for an example, you put 3 coins of 50 stotinki and one of 20 stotinki, which makes BGN 1.70, the man who is trying to purchase a ticket won't be given the change of 10 stotinki," explains another traveler.

Thus, for four years the total remaining change is BGN 70,000.

This money goes to the cashier of the company with special protocols and is used to maintain the same system.