Belgrade's tender for 85 trams collapses as City fails to secure 22 million euros in advance payment

The tender for the purchase of 85 new short trams for Belgrade's city transport company GSP, worth 226 million euros, is to be suspended because the City of Belgrade has not secured the money for an advance payment of 22 million euros, the Centar GSP Belgrade union announced on Friday.

"Only two days after the suspension of the tender for new trolleybuses, the tender for new trams has also fallen through — only one company applied, Turkey's Bozankaya," said union president Ivan Banković.

In his view, this is further proof that no new vehicle can be procured through the City any longer, given the alarming state of Belgrade's public transport system and the enormous debts owed by the City to GSP, and in turn by GSP to its suppliers.

Banković said the sole Turkish bidder offered a short tram at a price of as much as 2.66 million euros including VAT.