Public buses in Sofia

The Sofia public bus system (Bulgarian: Автобусен транспорт София) forms part of the public transport network of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.

Sofia Public bus system
Public transport buses in Sofia, 2019
Public transport buses in Sofia, 2019
Overview
OwnerStolichna Municipality
Area servedStolichna Municipality
LocaleSofia, Bulgaria
Transit typeBus
Number of lines101[1]
Operation
Began operation20 April 1935 (1935-04-20)
Operator(s)
  • Sofia Bus Transport JSC
  • Sofia Electric Transport JSC
  • MTK Group
Technical
System length2,380 km (1,478.9 mi)[2]
Average speed20 km/h (12 mph)

In operation since 1935, the system presently comprises 98 routes.

History

The public bus transport in Sofia developed relatively late compared to the other types of transport in the city. The first operational line was opened on 20 April 1935. Soon after that six more lines were opened, bringing the total network length to 23 km.[2]

During the communist era, the bus fleet consisted mainly of Ikarus and Bulgarian-made Chavdar buses. After the political changes in 1989, however, the fleet has gradually been modernised.

Lines

As of July 2023, the following bus lines in Sofia are in service:

Line Route Garage
1 Geo Milev Bus Station – Kokalyane Malashevtsi
3 Geo Milev Bus Station – Dolni Pasarel Malashevtsi
4 Mladost 1 – Kokalyansko Hanche Druzhba
5 Geo Milev Bus Station – Dolni Lozen village Malashevtsi
6 Geo Milev Bus Station – German Iskar trolleybus depot
7 Iskar Railway Station – Verila Train Station Druzhba
8 German – Krivina Druzhba
9 Iskar Motorservice Station – Gen. Gurko St. Druzhba
10 Busmantsi – Dimitar Milenkov Druzhba
11 Geo Milev Bus Station – Ovcha Kupel 2 Zemlyane
12 Iztok Bus Station – Dolni Bogrov MTK Group
14 Iskar Train Station – Iztok Bus Station Druzhba
18 Orlandovtsi Bus Station – Chepintsi Mill MTK Group
20 Lions' Bridge Sq. – Lokorsko MTK Group
21 Central Railway Station – Voynegovtsi MTK Group
22 Central Railway Station – Podgumer MTK Group
23 Orlandovtsi Bus Station – Kurilo Train Station Malashevtsi
24 Orlandovtsi Bus Station – Benkovski MTK Group
26 Obelya 1 – Gnilyane Malashevtsi
27 Kn. Maria Luisa Metro Station – Katina MTK Group
28 Lokorsko – Mramor Malashevtsi
29 Iliyantsi Bus Station – Balsha MTK Group
30 Obelya 1 – Balsha MTK Group
31 Obelya 1 – Golyanovtsi MTK Group
42 Lyulin 8 – Mihaylovo Zemlyane
44 Bankya Bus Station – Ivanyane Zemlyane
47 Slivnitsa Metro Station – Gradoman Zemlyane
49 Slivnitsa Metro Station – Klisura Zemlyane
X50 Eagles' Bridge – Vrana Park And Museum Malashevtsi
54 Slivnitsa Metro Station – Kalotina Junction Zemlyane
56 Vardar Metro Station – Malo Buchino Zemlyane
58 Knyazhevo Bus Station – Vladaya Zemlyane
59 Moesia Metro Station – Marchaevo Zemlyane
60 Central Railway Station – Ovcha Kupel 2 Nadezhda trolleybus depot
63 Tsar Boris III Blvd – The Golden Bridges Zemlyane
64 Sofia Zoo – Centre of Hygiene Zemlyane
66 Sofia Zoo – Moreni Hotel Zemlyane
67 Sofia Seminary – Simeonovo Zemlyane
68 Sofia Zoo – Simeonovo Zemlyane
69 National Oncology Hospital – Tsareva Mahala Druzhba
70 National Oncology Hospital – Plana Druzhba
72 Pliska Hotel – Zapaden Park Malashevtsi
73 Ovcha Kupel 2 – Mladost 1 Iskar / Nadezhda trolleybus depots
74 Central Railway Station – Manastirski Livadi Nadezhda trolleybus depot
75 Geo Milev Bus Station – Eagles' Bridge Druzhba
76 Mladost 4 – Gotse Delchev Druzhba
77 Central Railway Station – Zapaden Park Zemlyane
78 Central Railway Station – Vrazhdebna Malashevtsi
79 Hristo Botev – Stind Malashevtsi
81 Obelya Train Station – Ivanyane MTK Group
82 Central Railway Station – Lyulin 5 Malashevtsi
83 Sofia Zoo – Hyundai Bulgaria Zemlyane
84 Sofia Airport T2/T1 – Gen. Gurko St. Iskar trolleybus depot
85 Hadzhi Dimitar – Vrabnitsa 2 Malashevtsi
86 Svoboda – Malashevtsi Bus Depot MTK Group
88 Sofia Zoo – Druzhba 2 Druzhba
90 Malashevtsi Bus Depot – Buhovo MTK Group
94 Sofia University – Students' Town Malashevtsi
98 Sofia Zoo – Zheleznitsa Zemlyane
100 Benkovski – Road Building Equipment Malashevtsi
101 Central Railway Station – Fondovi Zhilishta Malashevtsi
102 Ovcha Kupel 2 – Students' Town Zemlyane
103 Ovcha Kupel Bus Station – Lyulin Villa Zone Zemlyane
107 Boyana Church – Kapruzitsa Zemlyane
108 Lyulin 5 – Hyundai Bulgaria Zemlyane
X9 Alexander Teodorov Balan Metro Station - Lozenets Zemlyane
X10

Buxton - Mladost 1 Zemlyane
111 Mladost 1 – Lyulin 1,2 Zemlyane
117 Iztok Bus Station – Buhovo MTK Group
118 Iztok Bus Station – Zhelyava MTK Group
119 Iztok Bus Station – Botunets MTK Group
120 Sofia Zoo – Levski G Malashevtsi
123 Geo Milev Bus Station – Aerial Lift Simeonovo Iskar trolleybus depot
150 Obelya 1 – Voluyak Malashevtsi
184 Sofia Airport T1/T2 – Gen. Gurko St. Iskar trolleybus depot
204 Druzhba 2 – Gotse Delchev Druzhba
213 Central Railway Station – Mladost 4 Druzhba
260 Gorna Banya – Prague Blvd Zemlyane
280 Students' Town – Sofia University Malashevtsi
285 Hadzhi Dimitar – Vrabnitsa 2 Malashevtsi
294 Students' Town – G.M.Dimitrov Metro Station Malashevtsi
304 National Historic Museum – Druzhba 2 Malashevtsi
305 Central Railway Station – Peifil Culinary Factory Druzhba
309 Lyulin 1,2 – Iliyantsi Blvd underpass Malashevtsi
310 Lyulin 5 – Stochna Gara Sq. Malashevtsi
314 Mladost 1 – Bistritsa Druzhba
384 Sofia Airport T2 - Druzhba 2 Druzhba
404 Central Railway Station – Druzhba Bus Depot Druzhba
413 Central Railway Station – Technopolis Mladost 4 Qr. Druzhba
604 Iskar Railway Station – Pirogov Hospital Druzhba

Night bus service

A night bus service was launched in Sofia by Sofia Urban Mobility Center on an experimental basis from 7 April 2018 until 31 December 2018.[3] Tickets for the night bus could be obtained solely from conductors on the bus, and not from the driver, machines or other public transport ticket sale points. Tickets for the night bus cost 2 leva compared to the daytime price of 1.60 leva.[3] Knyaz Alexander Square was chosen as the site of a transfer location where all night bus lines met and passengers could switch lines.[4][5]

Four routes were included and operated from 00:20 until 04:20 at intervals of 40 mins:[5][3]

  • N1: Lyulin 1 – Mladost 4, operated by Malashevtsi garage
  • N2: Obelya – Students' Town, operated by Malashevtsi garage
  • N3: Ovcha Kupel 2 – Iztok Bus Station, operated by Zemlyane garage
  • N4: Gotse Delchev – Druzhba 2, operated by Druzhba garage

The night bus service was closed due to COVID-19 and has not been opened since then. As of February 2023, the service isn't running and the last bus for most lines is between 23:30 and 00:00.

Fleet

Current fleet
Sofia Bus Transport
QuantityManufacturerTypePhoto
60 BMC Procity CNG
110 Yutong ZK6126HGA
22 Yutong ZK6126HGA CNG безрамка
20 Yutong E12LF
126 MAN Lion´s City G CNG (2014)
60 MAN Lion´s City G CNG (2019)
10 Mercedes-Benz Intouro E
5 Mercedes-Benz Intouro ME
35 Mercedes-Benz Conecto LF
46 BMC Belde 220-SLF
30 Mercedes-Benz O345 Conecto
49 Mercedes-Benz O345 Conecto G
3 Mercedes-Benz O345S
8 Mercedes-Benz O345G
25 MAN SG262
Sofia Electric Transport
QuantityManufacturerTypePhoto
45 Higer KLQ6125GEV3 Chariot Ebus
MTK Group
QuantityManufacturerTypePhoto
66 BMC Procity CNG

Heritage fleet
BuiltManufacturerTypePhoto
1983 MAN SD200
1988 Ikarus 280
1996 Chavdar 141

See also

References
  1. - Bus, Trolleybus and tram routes in Sofia
  2. History of the bus transport in Sofia
  3. "Bulgarian capital Sofia launches night bus service". Sofia Globe. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  4. "Night Transport in Sofia". Free Sofia Tour. 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  5. "Night Transport in Sofia / нощен транспорт в софия". sofiatraffic.bg. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
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