Train travelers will pay more for tickets this summer. Prices of train tickets are set to increase by 11% as of June. Bus operators say they are also considering raising fares.
In May, passengers still pay their usual fares for train tickets. But for example, a train ride from Vilnius to Siauliai will cost 1.40 euros or 11% more from June.
LTG Link, a passenger transportation company of Lithuanian Railways, also abolished discount cards a few weeks ago. It is now preparing a new loyalty system, the company says.
“We are not trying to get rich. We are just looking for efficiency and that the costs we incur are fairly distributed. That is why we have been forced to increase our prices slightly,” said LTG Link’s Managing Director Linas Bauzys.
But passengers say they will continue traveling by train despite raising fares.
“I like traveling by train, it’s very convenient, especially to Trakai lakes. I don’t think the price will be a factor,” said a woman interviewed by LRT TV.
“I will use the trains. It’s still cheaper than hiring someone or driving myself,” said another passenger.
Bus operators are still working out their plans and monitoring passenger flows. Linas Skardziukas, the head of the passenger transportation company Kautra, expects an increase in the number of travelers in the summer but doubts whether it could return to the pre-pandemic levels.
“Today, I can neither confirm nor deny that we will avoid price increases. Given the current situation, it’s more likely that prices will go up. We will not make any drastic increases. As a rule, if we increase prices, we do it by 2% or 3%,” Skardziukas said.
Those who use transport in the cities could also experience price changes. The ride-hailing app Bolt raised prices at the beginning of the year. The company does not rule out the possibility that fares could rise again in the summer.
“External factors, the price of fuel and inflation also continue to rise, so we will certainly take that into account. There are no concrete plans yet, but we cannot rule anything out,” said Andrius Pacevicius, the CEO of Bolt. (LRT/Business World Magazine)