There are often reports of cases where a trip on public transport turns into an unpleasant experience for people. Some are outraged by fare evaders, others by the behavior of controllers, but there is a group that often remains the least protected — children and youth, writes LA.LV.
On the social media platform Threads, Diana raised the issue of the quality of work of "Rīgas satiksme". The woman does not hide her bewilderment and asks whether schoolchildren are really regularly kicked off public transport.
What do other social media users think about this?
Laura notes that "stinky drunks" are not touched by controllers and are allowed to ride peacefully, while it is easier to yell at children and assert their superiority.
"If I see a stinky passenger on the transport, and the controller asks for a ticket, I say — first kick off that stinky one, then I will show. I will always stand up for the children with school backpacks who are being kicked off," shares Ilze in the comments.
Daniela shares her experience. She recalls how once during her school years she forgot her e-talons card at home.
"The controller said to me: ‘So young, and already breaking the law’. They don’t say such words to drunks. Perhaps because they are afraid — men are often aggressive," Daniela believes.
She adds that it is much easier to kick off a minor child.
Madara describes a particularly alarming situation: "Just recently, I saw with my own eyes how a controller asked a child about 10 years old how he plans to pay for the ride, and if he can’t, then he should ride with them to the end of the route (to Imanta), where they will sort it out.
I got off in the center, I don’t know how it ended, but this was absolutely abnormal behavior. Usually, I hear polite reminders, not like this. The child was scared, couldn’t even respond. And at the same time, another controller was trying to tell some stinky passenger that he needed to get off 😀 some glitch in the matrix."
Explanation from "Rīgas satiksme"
The company "Rīgas satiksme" also responded to the residents' criticism. Representatives of the company explain:
"Children under 14 years old cannot be kicked off public transport, so we ask for more precise information about what happened: date, time, and route.
Children, like any other passenger with a 100% discount on travel, are required to register their trip, as it is based on these registrations that we receive funding from the municipality or the state. As already mentioned, controllers can politely remind children about the need for registration, but they cannot kick them off."
What should a child do if a controller demands to leave the transport?
To this question, a representative of the State Agency "Autotransport Directorate" (ATD) answered the portal LA.LV. He explained that the carrier's controller has the right to kick off a passenger who uses public transport without payment or a valid ticket and refuses to pay a fine, inviting him to voluntarily get off at the next stop or at the control point (on urban routes).
If a passenger who has not purchased a ticket refuses to comply with the controller's request, the controller has the right to call the police to forcibly remove the passenger.
He also noted that the driver of public transport has the right to deny entry and kick off a passenger if he uses the services without payment or a valid ticket, or violates the requirements of regulations regarding epidemiological restrictions, inviting him to voluntarily get off at the next stop or at the control point (on urban routes).
As for children, a minor under 15 years old can only be kicked off public transport in the presence of a guardian to the nearest police station.
What should parents do if their child is kicked off?
"In incidents involving minors on public transport, parents should first contact the specific carrier whose services their child used or wanted to use. At the same time, they can also file a complaint with the Autotransport Directorate," explains the ATD representative.
Public transport is in demand
According to the LETA agency, in November, 10,066,826 passengers used the services of Riga's public transport, which is 0.3% more than in November of last year. Also, in November, the number of passengers exceeded 10 million.
The most passengers were transported by buses, followed by trolleybuses and trams. The tram route No. 1 remains the unchanged leader in popularity, having transported 1,066,297 passengers. Among trolleybuses, route No. 15 leads with 547,973 trips, while among buses, route No. 3 transported 620,900 passengers.
In total, in November, 4,360,241 passengers were transported by buses, 3,427,134 by trolleybuses, and 2,279,451 by trams.
The services of Riga's public transport are provided on 79 routes, including seven tram routes, 22 trolleybus routes, and 50 bus lines.
