RIGA, March 21 (LETA) - The project "Estonia-Latvia cross-border public transport connection" plans to open pilot bus routes Valga-Valka and Ikla-Salacgriva (Limbazi), according to information published on the Legal Acts Portal by the Ministry of Transport.

The ministry indicates that an agreement between the Road Transport Administration (ATD) and the public transportation centers of Parnu and Valga regions on the consent to the opening of this bus service is planned and proposals for further action will be made.

The report states that in the first two phases of the project, the partners will prepare a strategy and an action plan for the renewal and future operation of cross-border bus routes, while in the third phase, proposals will be prepared for pilot bus routes on other regional routes connecting Latvia and Estonia - Voru-Aluksne, Viljandi-Valmiera and Kilingi-Nomme-Valmiera.

The ministry explains that there used to be important cross-border bus services on the border between Estonia and Latvia, which was discontinued in the early 1990s due to the introduction of border controls, but the need for such connections has remained.

In the view of the ministry, the provision of cross-border public transport services can only be solved by an agreement between Latvia and Estonia, as private companies do not have sufficient economic interest to provide services on a commercial basis.

The project plans to develop a common strategy and action plan for sustainable cross-border public bus transport in Estonia and Latvia.

The project's future existence is expected to depend entirely on the funding allocated to the Parnu and Valga regional transportation centers, passenger flows and ticket sales. At the same time, fares for Estonian operators are expected to be higher than for ATD-organized services.

The ministry indicates that data will be collected on the use of the pilot bus routes Valga-Valka and Ikla-Salacgriva (Limbazi) and that ATD will then prepare proposals for optimal bus timetables for cross-border services to Estonia and the Vidzeme Planning Region.

If the necessary financial resources are available, talks on opening new cross-border regional bus routes will continue, the ministry added.

Although the report mentions that the pilot bus routes could be opened in the first quarter of this year, the Ministry of Transport's informative report has yet to be reviewed by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Information on the Vidzeme Planning Region's website shows that the total funding for the project "Estonia-Latvia cross-border public transport connection" is EUR 235,000. The project implementation period is planned until November 14, 2026.

The report also mentions that there are plans to open a cross-border train service on the Tartu-Riga route by the Estonian Ministry of Climate.

Passenger train services between Riga and Tartu were originally planned to start by October 2023, but are now scheduled to start in summer this year.