Sofia Municipality is about to introduce a completely new transport service – on demand green public transport in the southwestern districts of Sofia. The new electric minibuses will be requested by a mobile application - they will transport citizens from the closest corner to the nearest metro or tram line.

How to make it visible that those minibusses are part of the public transport system, but at the same time they operate without a fixed route and they are used through an application? This is a task that design students from the New Bulgarian University, the Sofia Development Association and the Sofia Municipality are working on together. Students, led by mentors, will compete to create design projects, and the winner project will be implemented. The competition gives students the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned and to show their talent by proposing real solutions in favor of the city.

The competition is held within the INNOAIR project, the first and so far the only project from Bulgaria, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative. The project introduces for the first time in Europe on demand public transport, as well as for the first time in Sofia and Bulgaria low emission zone, green corridors, and the mobile application SofiaCoin with awards for active transport.

 The introduction of a new type of ecological transport and its integration with a new type of urban functionality are a serious stimulus for the creativity of young artists. In this sense, a competition among students for graphic design of vehicles is a chance to express both in terms of visual identity of the project of Sofia Municipality, and to promote new solutions for a clean and healthy environment, "said Ch. Assistant Professor Dr. Sofroni Varbev from NBU.

“Why give the students hypothetical tasks when Sofia is facing so many challenges? Studying together with the city is best for both students and Sofia, "said Yordanka Fandakova, mayor of Sofia Municipality.

The presentation of the student projects will take place at the end of June. For more information follow  https://fb.me/e/1uFKdzEh6.