The ceremoniously opened transfer point in the capital's Kengarags district, attended by city officials and an orchestra, turned out to have significant flaws.
The fact is that the designers laid out the pedestrian crossings in such a way that they are blocked by trams waiting for passengers. Local pensioners have to walk around the carriages on the tracks and cobblestones. And wheelchairs cannot pass through at all.
Meanwhile, the pedestrian path leading from the stop unexpectedly ends – right in front of the tracks. This is inconvenient and even dangerous. This was reported by Riga resident Kaarlis Krumiņš.
In response to the dissatisfaction of the city's residents, the municipal enterprise Rīgas satiksme stated:
"The mobility point is a new facility, and today is only the second day after its opening. Both we and the residents are adapting to the new conditions. We are on site to assess how traffic is organized in this area and are simultaneously considering options for further improving the situation to make it as convenient and comfortable as possible for everyone."
It should be noted that the design and construction of the transfer point and the extension of the tracks took several years. The costs amounted to €28.4 million. It seemed that during this time and with this money, the residents of Riga could have expected a "maximally convenient and comfortable situation for everyone." But Rīgas satiksme was unable to achieve this. Now they are trying to plug the gaps.
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