Fewer Flights, More Transfers: What Awaits Passengers in the Regions 0 14

However, due to the insufficient number of passengers, ticket revenues, and high costs, the issue of changes in the route network through the creation of transfer points is already being addressed.

This year, the total length of the passenger bus route network in Latvia is 73.76 million km. A reduction of 400,000 km is not significant, but it still provides savings, acknowledged the Road Transport Administration (RTA).

However, it affects part of the population: it already creates and will continue to create problems for residents in the regions. For instance, a resident of the Saulkrasti region, Jana, is concerned about the substantial reduction in bus services on the Limbaži-Sigulda-Saulkrasti routes.

"Some services have been cut by half or more. For example, on the Riga-Ainaži route, instead of 21 services, there are now only 10, and on the Riga-Saulkrasti-Limbaži route, which had four services, there will be none in the future. By what right does the RTA intend to prohibit residents from moving? This is a deliberate isolation of the region, carried out 'quietly', hoping that residents will only notice it on the empty stops on the morning of July 1," she said.

The RTA responds that there were very few passengers on these routes, making them unprofitable to maintain.

"Wherever it is possible to connect these services with the railway, we are doing so. Work is underway at the Saulkrasti station to improve the infrastructure, co-financed by the state, so we plan to link bus services with the train schedule," explained Thomas Beikulis, head of the public transport department at the RTA.

The RTA notes that the number of passengers has still not reached the pre-pandemic level. The fact that many now choose remote or hybrid work formats has also affected this. The increase in the number of passengers compared to last year was a couple of percent.

The Association of Passenger Carriers plans to further discuss the plans for this year with the administration, but the RTA admits that changes may follow for certain services.