Burgasbus will add more English-language information on buses, at stops and across its digital channels ahead of Eurovision, and from early 2027 will also run an extra English course for staff who deal directly with passengers. That's the response from Burgas deputy mayor Stanimir Apostolov.
Route names and numbers, stop names, how to buy and validate tickets, transfers and the city's main directions will all be shown in English.
"As we get ready for Eurovision, we plan to expand the English-language information," Apostolov wrote.
The response came after a question from city councillor Violeta Diyanova. She asked three things: how good the transport company's staff are at foreign languages, how and how often their knowledge is checked and rated, and what's being done to improve it.
Mayor Dimitar Nikolov's office says drivers, conductors and other staff who deal with passengers aren't legally required to speak a foreign language for the job. Some staff at the company speak foreign languages to varying degrees, and many can get by in English and other languages.
Burgasbus staff have already gone through online English training under a scheme run by the company itself.
The new course is aimed at both beginners and those who already have some knowledge. It focuses on real situations staff face with passengers, covering routes, stops, tickets, transfers and the city's main directions. The training will also cover using voice assistants and other digital translation tools for when staff need to talk to a foreign visitor.
In cities with large numbers of foreign tourists, information on using public transport is also given visually in English, so visitors don't have to rely on talking to staff to find their way, Apostolov says. Thousands of foreign visitors are expected in Burgas during the Eurovision days.