St. Petersburg is reforming its public transport contract system for trams and trolleybuses, transitioning to a net-contract model starting in July 2025. The city is moving away from revenue-based subsidies, adopting a system where “Gorelectrotrans,” the operator of trams and trolleybuses, will receive fixed payments from the city budget for their transport work.

This reform mirrors the transition already undertaken by “Passazhiravtotrans,” the city’s bus operator. However, the initial contracts for trams and trolleybuses will be shorter, lasting only one year, from July 2025 to August 2026. This pilot period will allow the city to evaluate operational aspects before implementing longer, nine-year contracts.

The estimated cost of the tram contracts is 19.4 billion rubles, with 5.6 billion allocated for 2025 and 13.8 billion for 2026. Trolleybus contracts are estimated at 13.2 billion rubles, with 3.8 billion for 2025 and 9.4 billion for 2026.

A primary concern during this transition is maintaining competitive salaries for tram and trolleybus drivers. The goal is to prevent them from seeking higher-paying positions as bus drivers. The city plans to hold an electronic auction for the contracts. The article also mentions the estimated salaries for tram and trolleybus drivers, though specific figures were not provided in the text.