Sustainable transport

The combined sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles declined for a fourth month in a row in July, data from the Automotive Distributors' and Mobility Association (ODMD) has shown.

The market contracted 17.5 percent year-on-year in July when a little more than 94,000 vehicles were sold.

When it comes to public transportation, Bulgarians show a strong preference for intercity buses, using them three times more frequently than their EU counterparts. A recent Eurobarometer study presented by the European Commission reveals that 42 percent of Bulgarians opt for intercity buses, while only 14 percent of other EU residents choose this mode of travel.

The Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, unveiled plans for a comprehensive overhaul of urban transportation in the city, extending beyond the current municipal administration's tenure. Terziev announced the initiative during a briefing today, highlighting that the program's budget would exceed BGN 1 billion, with implementation spread out until 2030.

This year, 44% of Bulgarians will vacation abroad, with 92% of these trips occurring within Europe. Greece is the top destination for 40% of travelers, followed by Italy at 22% and Turkey at 20%. Germany ranks fourth with 13% of respondents planning to visit.

Greek social media users have been in stitches since Sunday over a video showing passengers pushing a broken-down trolley bus on Syngrou Avenue in Athens. 

The bus broke down in the middle of the circuit of a bicycle race that was taking place in central Athens on Sunday. 

Aiming to encourage walking, the Athens Municipality has introduced a digital tool with valuable data informing citizens and local authorities about the state of sidewalks and streets in the Greek capital.

Apart from its aging fleet of buses, a thorn in Athens' urban transport is the network of stops where, in addition to problematic locations in several cases, there are broken canopies, damaged seats, tilted poles etc. Moreover, cars parked in front of bus stops make a bad situation worse.

The most interesting aspect of the soaring number of foreign tourists in Athens, in any case a welcome phenomenon, lies in its potential to better our self-understanding. The influx of foreign visitors into the city has been generating images that are unprecedented, or at least unimaginable just five or eight years ago.

Leading the sector with 500,000 recharges last year, Eşarj has reached 1 million total recharges with the increase in electric vehicle usage, the company has said in a statement.

Founded in 2008, Eşarj, a subsidiary of Enerjisa Enerji, the first EV charging station provider in Türkiye, exceeded 1,000 charging stations nationwide, including 850 DC fast charging stations.

Stores and supermarkets will operate with regular hours tomorrow, Holy Saturday – Changes in bus, trolleybus, metro, and suburban railway schedules will be in effect until Wednesday after Easter