Ciprian Ciucu's plan for STB after the tariff increase was rejected: “So that we all know what is happening in the “black box””

Ciprian Ciucu announced, on Tuesday evening, that he requested from STB and from The Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport Bucharest (ADITPBI) a “viable” plan to avoid the insolvency of the transport company. He claims there will be no more discussions about rate hikes until this plan is adopted.

The Mayor of the Capital reported, on his Facebook page, that he asked the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest to authorize him for an evaluation, “a kind of audit, so that we all know what is happening in the STB black box”.

“I think we all need to know why public transport in Bucharest has ended up costing us 1.8 billion lei per year. Let's know where this sum, equivalent to the entire budget of the city of Brasov for one year, goes,” he wrote.

Ciucu claimed that the only parties in CGMB that supported him were PNL, USR and REPER, so he did not get the required number of votes. “I have nothing to do, I'm rolling up my sleeves and I'll try to find out directly what happened and what's happening at STB through meetings with the management of STB, with ADI Public Transport Bucharest and with the management of PMB”.

“We asked the management of STB and ADI TPBI to come by next Monday with a clear plan to reduce expenses and make the company's activity more efficient! If it is viable, I will submit this plan to the General Council and the Government, I will discuss it beforehand with the unions. Together we must avoid insolvency and improve public transport conditions for Bucharest residents”, added the mayor.

Ciprian Ciucu announced that he wants STB to be transparent, but also that “there will be no more discussions about tariff increases until we have this plan clearly adopted. Discussions about the elimination of cost-generating freebies (such as VAT and which have accumulated and reached astronomical sums, including the non-use of subscriptions) are pointless at this moment. Vulnerable groups will be protected”.

Ciucu's proposals for STB, rejected in CGMB

The municipal councilors rejected, on Thursday, January 29, the project regarding the price increase for trips with STB. According to the initiative, the price of the ticket for the trip was to increase by 66%, while the 24-hour pass was to suffer a 75% increase.

7 PNL councilors, 12 from USR, 3 from REPER and one from Forța Dreptei voted “for” the travel price increase. 14 councilors from PSD, 5 from PPUSL and 3 from PMP abstained. 5 AUR councilors voted against.

Ciprian Ciucu motivated the proposal to increase the tariffs so that STB does not go into insolvency.

Ciucu also requested an external audit for STB, but the councilors also rejected this draft decision in Thursday's meeting, which provided for a similar measure for Termoenergetica.