The streets are becoming whiter this week, and now a snowstorm is also promised — the movement of snow across the surface of the snow cover due to the wind. Kristaps Kauliņš, the director of the Department of Environment and Mobility of the Riga City Council, noted this morning on the TV3 program "900 seconds" that the capital is ready for a snowstorm, but it is still premature to talk about "snow tickets."
Kauliņš emphasized that Riga is in a state of constant readiness for winter. According to him, city services work not only at the onset of snowfall but also monitor forecasts and are on duty throughout the season.
"Riga is always in a state of readiness. As soon as the season starts, we are on duty, monitoring weather forecasts and responding as needed by clearing the streets," noted the department director.
Commenting on the criticism from residents regarding difficult driving conditions in the first hours of snowfall, Kauliņš stressed that every job takes time. He acknowledged that Riga residents are demanding, but overall, the start of this winter can be assessed positively.
"Looking at the state of infrastructure and the number of complaints received, I would say that we have started the winter season successfully. There have been no serious problems," he added, emphasizing that difficulties most often arise during heavy snowfall across the city or during icy conditions.
One of the main limitations in winter street maintenance remains funding. As Kauliņš admits, resources are not unlimited, so work needs to be planned very precisely.
"If there were unlimited funds, we could do everything perfectly, but we have to work within the available funding," he explained.
In the case of heavy snowfall, it may take four to six or even eight hours to bring the streets into order, depending on the volume of snow and whether it can be piled or needs to be removed.
In response to a question about so-called "snow tickets," Kauliņš confirmed that such a decision is possible this season. "If difficult driving conditions are forecasted during heavy snowfall, a decision is made to announce snow tickets to reduce traffic on the city's streets." However, such decisions are made in the short term — mainly for the next day.
Speaking about the principles of street cleaning, Kauliņš reminded that priority is always given to main streets, bridges, and public transport routes. Streets of lesser importance are cleared later — when the main arteries are in order or when the snowfall eases.
Overall, Kauliņš rated his department's performance this winter as a "confident seven." "There have been no serious disasters, mobility is ensured, and public transport delays are within normal limits," he emphasized, adding that the city is ready to maintain the streets throughout the winter — even if it means less funding for summer work.
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