Trolleybuses in Plovdiv

LocalePlovdiv, Bulgaria

OpenDecember 1955 (1955-12)

CloseOctober 2012 (2012-10)

StatusDefunct

Plovdiv trolleybus system
A Van Hool trolleybus in Plovdiv.
Operation
Locale	Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Open	December 1955 (1955-12)
Close	October 2012 (2012-10)
Status	Defunct
Operator(s)	Градски Tранспорт-Пловдив АД (Gradski Transport Plovdiv)
Infrastructure
Stock	47 trolleybuses
Website	http://gradskitransport.net/ Gradski Transport (in Bulgarian)

The Plovdiv trolleybus system (Bulgarian: Пловдивски тролейбусен транспорт) was a part of the public transport network of the city and municipality of Plovdiv, the second most populous city in Bulgaria.

Opened in December 1955, the system had waxed and waned in size over time. As of the beginning of 2012, it was made up of only one route.

During the 2000s, City Transport Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Градски Транспорт Пловдив), the operator of the public transit network of the city, faced a difficult financial situation, leading to gradual reductions in its fleet size and number of lines. By 2007, the operator is privatized, under the condition that the new owner will provide 65 new trolleybuses. However, this obligation was not met, with the newly privatized operator only bringing in 23 additional vehicles, all of which were already previously used.^[1]

There are current disputes between the operator and the municipality regarding the validity of the trolleybus contract. Gradski Transport Plovdiv is still the operator of this type of transport, despite the numerous infractions of the contract since 2010.^{[needs update]}

In mid-December 2009, a shipment of 28 trolleybuses from Canada arrived at Burgas. However, it seized by Burgas customs due to unfulfilled requirements for the vehicles' clearance. As a result, by mid-2010, the confiscated vehicles had become state property, and never entered operation.^[2]

In October 2012, the city was deemed ineligible to acquire an EU grant of 65 million levs (Equivalent to about 33 million euro), citing the fact that the operator was private, instead of municipal. According to the deputy mayor of the city, the money would have been enough to renew the entire trolleybus network.^[3]

The system was officially closed, and the contract with the operator terminated on 1 October 2012. However, some trolleybuses continued operation for a few more weeks.^{[citation needed]} Currently there is no trolleybus transport in the city, and the municipality has issued an order for dismantling the overhead network.^[4]