The "City for People" organization demands that additional barriers for pedestrians and cyclists be installed at the railway crossing in Imanta by August. If this does not happen, the organization intends to go to court.
In Riga, the discussion about the safety of the railway crossing near the Imanta station has intensified again. The organization "City for People" announced that it intends to seek changes through the courts if additional safety measures are not implemented at the site by August 1.
The reason for the new appeal was a recent tragic incident. According to the organization, on June 7, a train fatally injured a man at this crossing.
Particular attention to this location is drawn by the tragedy of last year when two underage girls riding a rented electric scooter were hit by a train. After this incident, the issue of crossing safety has been repeatedly raised by both public organizations and local residents.
The organization believes that the existing measures are insufficient. They propose to install barriers for pedestrians and cyclists that would automatically close the passage when a train approaches, similar to how vehicle movement is currently restricted.
According to activists, this would significantly reduce the risk of accidents at one of the busiest railway crossings in the capital.
However, earlier, the Latvian Railway JSC did not support such an initiative. The company argued that the already installed pedestrian mazes provide the necessary level of safety.
Disagreeing with this position, the "City for People" organization has prepared legal steps. Together with lawyer Nikita Kovalev, the organization submitted a statement to the executive director of the Riga City Council, contesting what they claim is the inaction of the local government in addressing the issue.
In fact, the activists have set a deadline of August 1. If a solution is not found by then, they promise to take the matter to court.
The issue of safety at railway crossings remains relevant not only for Imanta. Following last year's tragedy in Riga, a public discussion began about the rules for using rented electric scooters and the responsibilities of micromobility operators.
In particular, a petition was started on the ManaBalss.lv portal to restrict access to electric scooter rentals for minors.
Now, attention has once again focused on the crossing itself and whether the existing safety measures are sufficient to prevent new tragedies.
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