Penza, 2 February 2015. PenzaNews. The Komsomol activists held an unauthorized protest action “Funeral of municipal bus” in front of Penza administration building on Monday, February 2. The act of protest was caused by the bankruptcy of the municipal unitary enterprise “Penza passenger transportation” and following plans to replace state buses with privately run commercial carriers.

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A total of 11 people took part in the act on Marshal Zhukov square. Four of them carried a cardboard bus on their shoulders, and then buried it in the snow by the sidewalk, and set up a mounted cardboard figure of Andrei Fomin, Penza City Duma deputy, who is also the CEO of LLC “Company Dilizhans” and LLC “Corporation Dilizhans” – two commercial carriers in the region.

After that, the Komsomol members pointedly removed their hats, laid flowers to the bus and held a moment of silence, portraying grief.

Commenting on the reasons that moved the Komsomol activists to such an act, Sergei Padalkin, spokesperson of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party, told PenzaNews agency that the lack of municipal buses on many city routes is a great inconvenience for the residents.

“We believe that the bankruptcy of ‘Penza passenger transportation’ is the deed of the former Penza mayor Roman Chernov and the so-called transport lobbyists in the City Duma, among them deputy Andrei Fomin who is heading a private transportation company,” the agency interlocutor said.

He added they are planning to hold a rally “For decent life” February 8 in Penza, during which the activists will demand a return of municipal buses to the city streets.

“Today this action is a warm-up, so to speak. We are expressing our disagreement, we protest, attract attention,” Sergei Padalkin.

However, the Komsomol action was so swift and brief that it did not attract attention of any of the few passers-by at the hour, the city administration officials, or the police.