Alexandr Petkov
“We’re introducing free rides on municipal public transportation in Bălți. The first phase begins this September: every Wednesday, rides will be free. Since trolleybuses form the backbone of the city’s transit system, we’ll call this day ‘Green Wednesday.’ Our goal is to make public transit more appealing so that more residents leave their cars at home,” explained Alexandr Petkov.
The mayor emphasized that this measure will help reduce traffic jams, ease congestion on city streets, and cut harmful emissions. He also noted that starting in 2027, public transportation will become completely free.
“Green Environment” is just the first step. Starting January 1, 2027, we are preparing to fully transition to free rides on all municipal public transportation. “Public transportation must be convenient, accessible, and serve the interests of every city resident,” stated Alexandr Petkov.
Alexander Petkov emphasized that significant preparatory work must be carried out before the project can be implemented.
“This will require extensive preparation. That is why I want to see all your plans for this year, including proposals for streamlining the administrative apparatus. We are preparing to introduce free public transportation in Bălți starting January 1, 2027. All necessary measures on the part of City Hall will be taken,” the mayor stated.
According to the Bălți City Hall, the mayor noted that the municipal enterprise “Trolleybus Management” is the only municipal enterprise that receives subsidies from the municipal budget, therefore, preparations for implementing these initiatives must be accompanied by the optimization of internal processes and the rational use of financial resources.
The mayor also instructed officials to study the experience of European cities where free public transportation models have already been successfully implemented: “Look at the practices of European cities. If they were able to implement such a system, then we can implement it in Bălți as well.”
