SOFIA TAXI RATES UP?
Sofia taxi operators OK Supertrans and 1 Euro announced plans to hike rates by 20 per cent before the end of September. Taxi S Express, often referred to by its phone number 1280, is mulling joining its rivals’ initiative. The daily rate will go up from 0.59 leva/km to 0.70 leva/km, and the night rate from 0.59 leva/km to 0.70 leva/km. The one-off charge will be 0.60 leva/km. The trio, which holds the bulk of the Sofia taxi market, said that the hike was needed because of increased maintenance costs, foodstuffs prices and accumulated inflation. Taxi operators said costs for maintenance and fuel had increased by a third in the past four years, while fare tariffs had remained unchanged. If the three companies raise taxi fares simultaneously, it is likely that the Commission for Protection of Competition could launch a collusion investigation. The antitrust watchdog levied fines on taxi operators three years ago.

RAILWAY UPGRADE
On September 17, Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry called a tender for technical assistance in railway network modernisation in Bulgaria. The tender winner will be expected to aid the upgrade of the Sofia-Plovdiv, Sofia-Dragoman and Sofia-Pernik-Radomir railway lines. The five million euro project falls within the scope of the EU’s Ispa programme, Technical Assistance for Modernisation of the Trans-European Railway Network in Bulgaria. It is divided into three parts, one for each railway section to be modernised. The term of implementation will vary between 18 and 22 months depending on the line to be worked on. Bulgarian and international companies will be eligible to participate in the tender. All bidders will have to verify their economic, technical and financial aptitude to carry out the bid. In particular, each participant will have to show its average financial turnover is 20 million leva if the bidder applies for technical assistance in all three projects. The candidate also has to showcase implementation of two similar projects valued at least two million leva in the past five years and availability of necessary equipment, software, alongside ISO 9001/2000 certificates. The deadline for offers’ submission is October 24. Offers will be opened the day after.

EVN PREPARES FOR WINTER
EVN, the Austrian electricity distribution company that owns the Plovdiv and Stara Zagora electricity utilities, will inject 34.472 million leva into its Bulgaria-based electricity distribution networks. The company came up with the value of investment following routine grid check-ups of grids performed late this summer. They are also forward-looking in view of forecasts for an enduring and tough winter, the press office of EVN said. The checks covered 22 280km of mid-voltage lines, 25 744km of cable and overhead power lines, as well as 15 813 electricity junctions.