Cross-border bus routes between Estonia and Latvia introduced last month were used by more than 2,000 passengers in July. Officials say this shows the routes are needed.
In July, cross-border public transport routes between Estonia and Latvia were launched on a one-year trial basis. The Parnu-Ikla-Ainazi-Salacgriva county route and the Valga-Valka city route have been used by more than 2,000 passengers in the first month.
Jaak, a driver on the Parnu-Ikla-Ainazi route, told “Aktuaalne kaamera” that not many people traveled to Ainazi in Latvia.
“It just depends on the day. Some days there are one or two, other times none at all, so not many go to Ainazi. It’s just a little bit over the border, after all,” he said.
Parnu County Public Transport Center director Andrus Karpuk said 10 buses go to Ainazi each day.
“Eight of them start in Parnu, some start in Haademeeste, and of those 10, two go on to Salacgriva, one in the morning and one in the evening. On the Valga-Valka route, there are currently three departures, but this will likely be reviewed in the fall to also cover morning commute times,” he told the show.
The original plan was to test five routes in total, but the Latvian side did not receive the necessary funding. As a result, the number of routes was reduced, with funding coming only from Estonian partners.
Karpuk said the first month had shown that the routes are needed.
“In the first month, there have been 2,200 cross-border passengers in total on these two route groups, of which 1,300 are in Parnu County between Ainazi and Salacgriva. In public bus transport, profitability is not measured solely by ticket revenue, but given that we’ve had 1,300 cross-border passengers here in Parnu County, this already exceeds our expectations,” Karpuk added.
Passengers generally fall into two categories: those traveling between the two countries out of practical necessity and tourists.
The aim is to continue operating the routes after the trial period and, if possible, to open other cross-border routes as well. (ERR)