The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works opens a direct grant procedure under Operational Programme Regional Development 2007-2013 and invites Sofia Municipality to present a project proposal under Priority Axis 1 “Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development”, Operation 1.5. “Sustainable Public Transport Systems”, scheme BG161PO001/1.5-02/2011 “Support for Integrated Public Transport in Sofia Municipality”.

The grant scheme aims at:

• making public transport more efficient and faster with lower energy consumption;
• creating a more accessible secondary infrastructure of public transport networks and introducing green public transport means;
• making the urban public transport more attractive;
• implementing an efficient automatic system of traffic management and transport control;
• ensuring social inclusion and equal access to the disadvantaged groups.

The grant scheme is implemented with the financial support of the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund. The project will be implemented in Sofia Municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Eligible activities:

• Development of traffic management plans and the implementation of automated management and control systems by introducing and improving management and data service systems (e.g. traffic management centres, a centralized computer system, detection systems on board public transport vehicles, remotely changeable information displays, scales, communication sub-systems);
• Improved accessibility of urban bus stops including providing platforms for the disabled, removing obstacles to finding one’s way and information, visual and audio announcement of stops, clear visual marking of the lines, timetables accessible even for people with low vision, information for the blind, etc.;
• Upgrade of the transport infrastructure – contact network, improved stops, repair and maintenance facilities and equipment;
• Development of the infrastructural route map with new destinations to more outlying neighbourhoods;
• Mounting a noise control system – installing vibration and noise control components around tramway tracks;
• Development and upgrade of the urban public transport systems with the utilization of  buses, trams and trolley buses which meet the requirements of the EU law on harmful emissions from engines and the use of renewable/alternative energy sources in public transport.
• Rehabilitation and upgrade of street networks, including the use of video surveillance systems in relation to the development of an integrated public transport system;
• Creation/ renovation/ rehabilitation of pedestrian lanes and pavements, creation of cycle lanes, pedestrian zone, pedestrian and cycle lanes, subways, transport infrastructure including related activities such as the placing of road signs, road marking, as part of the integrated public transport system;
• Measures to organize parking in the proximity to public transport nodes.

The total amount disbursed under the scheme is 97 791 500 BGN.

The deadline for the project proposal: 3 June 2011, 4:00 p.m. local time.

The Guidelines for Applicants and the full set of documents have been approved by the Head of the MA of OPRD by Order No РД-02-14-213/03.02.2011. The full set of documents and the Guidelines for Applicants have been published on the website of OPRD http://www.bgregio.eu/ in the section Actual schemes   and on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works http://www.mrrb.government.bg/ and on Single Information Web Portal www.eufunds.bg