After the tragic incident on the railway in Imanta - where two 13-year-old girls on a scooter died under the wheels of a train, - the Riga City Council may initiate changes in the operation of the barrier at the railway crossing.
After the tragic incident on the railway in Imanta, the Riga City Council may propose to the joint-stock company "Latvijas dzelzceļš" (LDz) to make changes to the operation of the barrier at the crossing, according to the statement by Kristaps Kauliņš, the director of the Department of Urban Environment and Mobility, at the meeting of the Committee on Traffic and Transport held on Monday.
At the beginning of the meeting, the committee's agenda was supplemented with a question about the safety of railway crossings.
Kauliņš acknowledged that after the incident, which resulted in the deaths of two girls on the railway, he received a mandate from the city mayor, Viesturs Kleinbergs, to conduct an inventory of pedestrian crossings over the railway in the capital. This will help identify existing problems and determine the necessary funding to address them.
At the same time, Kauliņš emphasized that the city is not responsible for maintaining this infrastructure — it is the responsibility of Latvijas dzelzceļš.
Yulia Stepanenko urged the municipality to involve the Ministry of Transport and LDz in improving the situation in Imanta. She noted that the barrier at the crossing does not lower completely, allowing people to cross the railway tracks even when the barrier is closed, which they take advantage of. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the operation of the barrier and establish a fenced "maze" for pedestrian crossing over the tracks.
Kauliņš stated that the municipality can initiate the implementation of such a solution before the ministry and LDz. At the same time, he noted that the city wants to "get a complete picture so that we do not react to individual cases, but systematically address the problem."
Meanwhile, on the public initiatives portal "Manabalss.lv" a petition has been started to allow only individuals aged 18 and over to use rented electric scooters. Currently, any teenager can rent a scooter without even knowing the traffic rules.
As reported, on October 1, two girls born in 2012 died in Riga near the Imanta station while riding a "Ride Mobility" scooter and were hit by a train. The Consumer Rights Protection Centre (CRPC) ordered the suspension of the scooter rental company's activities, and Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs called for an assessment of its operations. On Friday, the PTAC announced that it would impose an administrative penalty on "Ride Mobility" for not suspending its activities in accordance with the centre's requirement.
It is worth noting that on Thursday, October 2, the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) decided to suspend the services of the scooter and scooter rental operator "Ride Mobility" (SIA "Ride"). This decision followed the mayor of Riga, Viesturs Kleinbergs' call to assess the company's activities, which was related to the death of two girls born in 2012 who, while using the "Ride Mobility" device, were hit by a train in Imanta. On Friday, the PTAC announced that it would impose an administrative penalty on "Ride Mobility" for not suspending its activities in accordance with the PTAC's requirement.
The PTAC urged all consumers, especially youth and their parents, to responsibly use shared transport, adhering to the rules and laws established by service providers. The PTAC also reminded that using electric scooters and other micromobility devices without proper preparation and age verification can pose serious risks to both users and those around them. Latvians expressed their outrage at the actions of the company SIA "Ride" on social media.
Earlier, on October 1, a tragic incident occurred at the Imanta railway station: two girls riding a rented scooter were hit by a train. The ambulance reported that one of the girls died on the spot even before the medics arrived. Three medical teams attempted to save the second girl, but her injuries were too severe.
