St. Petersburg’s “Organizer of Transportation” is planning to award contracts for tram and trolleybus services for the years 2025-2026, marking a shift in how public transportation is funded in the city.

The procurement plan includes two contracts: one for tram transport, estimated at 19.4 billion rubles, and another for trolleybus transport, valued at 13.2 billion rubles.

Initially, these contracts are slated to cover a one-year period, from July 2025 to August 2026. Following this initial period, a larger 9-year contract with GET (Gorelektrotrans), or “Urban Electric Transport,” is anticipated.

Sources indicate that the contract price for transport services factors in driver salaries, which are expected to range from 110,000 to 120,000 rubles, depending on the specific type of transport.

This move towards new contracts, where payment is based on transport work performed, will impact both Passazhiravtotrans (Passenger Transport Company) and Gorelektrotrans. Subsidies from the city budget will be discontinued, and revenue generated from passengers will be retained by the carriers. Passazhiravtotrans has already secured a 10-year contract under these new terms, acting as the sole supplier without a bidding process. However, in the case of Gorelektrotrans, an electronic auction is expected to determine the contract winner.