Plovdiv public transport reform

In mid‑July 2026, about 50 residents gathered outside the Plovdiv municipal council to demand an overhaul of the city’s public‑transport system. Organized by the civic initiative “Plovdiv – city for the people”, the protest called for ending reliance on private operators, adding routes, improving schedules and introducing cleaner buses. Participants cited a new ten‑year contract with a private consortium that had begun on 1 July and urged the council to place their petition on the agenda for the 16 July session or convene an extraordinary meeting. Council chair Atanas Uzunov said the issues would be taken up at the next council meeting on 3 August.

Two weeks later, municipal operator Ekobus – Plovdiv announced the resignation of manager Nikolay Stoev. The departure coincided with the rollout of a €15 million EU‑funded project to acquire electric buses, build a depot and install charging infrastructure, as well as an upgrade of the city’s traffic‑management system. A tender for designing upgrades to traffic‑signal equipment at 20 intersections was opened, with a single bid submitted by Modeshift Europe AD. The council is set to consider terminating Stoev’s contract and appointing an interim manager at the 3 August meeting.

Together, the protest and the managerial change illustrate the growing pressure on Plovdiv authorities to restructure public transport, shift toward municipal control, and implement EU‑backed modernization measures.