It is widely believed that public transportation procurement in the capital has come to a halt solely due to political disagreements or the refusal of transit operators to cooperate. In reality, however, the key obstacle has been a simple lack of available funds.
Why a Multi-Million Contract Fell Through
The Bratislava Transport Authority (Dopravný podnik Bratislava) has officially canceled a large-scale verejné obstarávanie (public procurement) for the supply of 20 new low-floor trams. The total value of the contract exceeded 71 million euros.
There was no need to debate the quality of the vehicles, as the tender was won by a powerful consortium led by the Czech Škoda Group and the Slovak company ŽOS Trnava. However, the financial arrangement ultimately fell through.
- Depleted EU Funds: European funds were supposed to be the primary source of funding, but the city’s and the transit company’s current resources have been completely exhausted or have already been allocated to other contracts.
- Supplier’s Refusal to Guarantee the Price: Due to delays in the process, the city transit operator asked the winning bidders to confirm the previously proposed prices and terms, but was refused.
- Lack of government support: No relevant ministry has allocated additional subsidies beyond the limits set by the previous government.
What is the current situation with public transportation?
Despite the collapse of this specific agreement, the complete renewal of the fleet continues. The company currently has 160 trams on its books, with an emphasis on comfort, as 100 of them are modern, air-conditioned, low-floor vehicles, according to official city transportation data. In addition, previously signed contracts continue to be fulfilled—for example, the delivery of another dozen new double-ended cars is expected in the near future.
The transit company’s management emphasizes that its current portfolio includes completed projects with a total value of over 700 million euros. A significant portion of these has already been reviewed by the official Public Procurement Office (Úrad pre verejné obstarávanie) and has the necessary construction permits. The problem is that it is impossible to implement these initiatives directly using city funds without direct assistance from the state budget.
Will There Be a New Tender?
Metropolia does not rule out announcing a similar tender in the future, but everything will depend on the availability of actual funding sources. If the budget situation stabilizes, the city will return to its plans to purchase additional railcars to relieve the busiest urban routes.
