RIGA, Sept 1 (LETA) - Ogre regional council at an extraordinary meeting today decided to demand the Cabinet of Ministers to declare state of emergency in Ogre municipality in relation with the critical situation in public transportation sector, LETA learned from the local council.

Ogre regional council chairman Egils Helmanis (National Alliance) said that the decision in related with the failure of Liepajas Autobusu Parks to provide public transportation services in the territory.

Ogre regional council has already turned to the Transport Ministry who is in charge of the matter to improve the situation, but there has been no response. Helmanis said that local residents at present cannot rely on public transportation in the region.

Helmanis explained that over the past month up to 40 bus departures a day have been cancelled. As a result, people, including elderly, have not been able to get to doctors, people have been late for jobs, and school children are not been able to get to schools. Most often there is even no information about the cancelled bus departures on the internet website of Liepajas Autobusu Parks.

The local government had to organize municipal transport to ensure that children can get to schools on September 1.

"The Transport Ministry and its institutions have not been able to solve the situation," said the local council's representative Indulis Trapins (National Alliance Justice).

Liepajas Autobusu Parks who won a tender to provide passenger transportation services in Ogre and Aizkraukle regions, has failed to ensure 430 bus departures or 2.91 percent of all planned departures.

The Road Transport Directorate has already warned the company about possible termination of the contract.