Volgograd Buses Freeze with Passengers

The sudden cold snap in Volgograd has been particularly acutely felt by passengers of city buses. According to them, the heating systems in the cabins are not functioning, and it is as cold inside as it is outside. This situation is a continuation of problems with climate control equipment: if in summer people suffered from air conditioners being turned off, now they are freezing due to non-working heaters.

Special dissatisfaction is caused by buses on route No. 25. One passenger reported that he has never felt warmth from the heaters. «They simply don»t turn on the heater, I don«t know if it»s broken or not. I can understand when it doesn«t work in one or two buses. But in all cabins, the frost is such that your feet freeze to the point of horror, the floor is icy. The windows freeze so much that you have to scrub them by force to understand where you»re going. And it«s like this everywhere, except for the driver»s seat — he«s the only one riding in warmth.»

The situation with comfort in public transport contrasts with plans for its funding. For maintenance and development, the budget plan for 2026 allocates 16.4 billion rubles (approximately 182 million USD at current rates). This amount is approximately 2 billion rubles (about 22 million USD) higher than similar expenses in 2025. However, it is unclear whether these cost items include repairs for heating and air conditioning systems.

Earlier, last year, city council deputies approved an increase in fare tariffs. This decision was justified by the need to modernize the bus fleet and improve the quality of transportation. It remains an open question whether the increase in revenue will affect the functionality of heaters in buses in the near future.

To find out the causes of the constant cold in the cabins, particularly on route No. 25, the editorial office has sent an official inquiry to the press service of the Volgograd administration.