Bucharest Mayor Calls for STB Insolvency to Prevent City Bankruptcy

Mayor Ciprian Ciucu of Bucharest urged the director and board of the public transport operator STB to file for insolvency, saying it is the only way to keep the service running, pay employee salaries and avert the city’s bankruptcy. He noted STB owes over one billion lei, including unpaid payroll tax contributions to ANAF that have generated penalties. Ciucu argued insolvency would protect both workers and the company, allowing a restructuring plan that could wipe out a significant portion of the debt, and prevent account seizures that could interrupt the essential public‑utility service. The operator currently survives on subsidies, with fare revenue covering only 17‑19 % of its costs, and its financial situation has become unsustainable, according to the mayor.