Belgrade trolleybus tender receives one offer, but financing is uncertain

Belgrade's public transport company, GSP, has received only one bid for a tender to acquire 60 new trolleybuses, a move that union representatives believe is doomed to fail. The sole offer comes from SDT Group, valued at 53.9 million euros, for trolleybuses with a 20-kilometer autonomous range.

However, the bid reportedly lacks secured financial leasing. According to the GSP's "Centar" union, this is because no bidder could secure financing due to the company's substantial debts. Union president Ivan Banković stated that they had warned GSP management and the city administration about the necessity of securing funds and guarantees before the tender was announced.

"They told us we were wrong, but now it is proven that in this way and in a situation where the largest city company is drowning in debt, suppliers are stopping further cooperation and threatening lawsuits and forced collection, no new vehicle for GSP can be procured through the City of Belgrade," Banković said. He added that an urgent meeting of the union, citizens' associations, and GSP workers decided to propose that the Serbian government directly manage the procurement of new trolleybuses, similar to the process for 50 electric buses for the Expo project.

Banković attributed the company's dire financial situation to poor management, detrimental decisions, and the increasing allocation of work to private carriers over the past three years. He argued that these factors have led to unsustainable costs that the city's budget can no longer cover.

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They told us we were wrong, but now it is proven that in this way and in a situation where the largest city company is drowning in debt, suppliers are stopping further cooperation and threatening lawsuits and forced collection, no new vehicle for GSP can be procured through the City of Belgrade.