The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has sent a request to the Bucharest Transport Company to see how much money is being wasted each year, as public transport looks increasingly deplorable. The action is part of the FACIAS campaign, "Turn off the Waste Tap!
In the reply we received from STB we found out that in the last 5 years the company has spent about 13 million euros on upgrading old trams, buses and trolleybuses, an information system for citizens, etc.
At the same time, between 2018 and 2022, STB had revenues of more than 184 million euros through the sale of tickets and season tickets.
STB brags about a series of measures adopted in 2023 to reduce overcrowding of public transport, despite the fact that, according to complaints received by FACIAS from citizens, there are STB lines where citizens have to wait for two or three buses before they can board because of overcrowding.
STB has told us that the first measure to avoid overcrowding and reduce traffic times is to increase the number of buses. However we found out that in fact in the last 5 years only 65 trams and a few electric buses have arrived on the streets of the Capital in 2021. Otherwise, contracts, initiated purchases, grand plans and... that's about it.
FACIAS will report this situation to the competent authorities in order to check in detail how this company, also financed by the money of the citizens of Bucharest, has spent tens and tens of millions of euros annually for a transport service with multiple deficiencies.
STB's full response can be seen here:
128350+128351 Raspuns STB SA_Redacted