Next Stop - 'Dead End'? 0 25

Meanwhile, residents of the Balvi region are concerned about whether the remaining routes will be able to serve all those who wish to travel and whether they will have to be closed at some point.

The Latvian Association of Local Governments has also raised the alarm, urging the government to take immediate measures to address the consequences of rising fuel prices in public transport.

"I won’t hide the fact that the news about the closure of these commercial routes by 'Ecolines' came as a big surprise to us. They were in high demand among residents - truly comfortable buses for a four-hour trip to work or other trips to Riga. Now the question is what level of comfort we will have in the future," said the mayor of the Balvi region, Jānis Trupovnieks.

For residents of the municipality, there remain state-subsidized routes by 'Talsu autotransports'.

"Some routes are seeing an increase in passenger flow, especially those where bus service is less frequent," commented the situation after the closure of the 'Ecolines' lines by 'Talsu autotransports' representative Agnese Gaile.

"The company’s priority is to ensure that no passenger is left standing at the bus doors. At present, it can be said that the overall capacity of the company is sufficient. If necessary, we are ready to provide additional trips," she added.

As stated by the Road Transport Administration (RTA), it is too early to draw conclusions about the consequences of 'Ecolines' departure.

"At the same time, other carriers have expressed interest in the possibility of operating commercial trips. For example, the RTA received an application from the regional carrier 'Ventspils reiss' to launch new trips on the commercial route Riga-Ventspils," the RTA reported.

However, this does not alleviate concerns about the Balvi direction.