ATD plans to keep regional bus network unchanged in 2027

Jānis Lapiņš, chairman of the board of the Latvian Road Transport Administration (ATD), told LETA that the regional public transport network for 2027 is currently being planned at the same scale as now. Active planning is underway, with funding being a key issue to determine how much the state can afford. Discussions are ongoing with the new political leadership regarding possible additional funding for next year.

Lapiņš emphasized that statistical data is being analyzed to optimize routes and reduce costs. No final decisions have been made, and the public will be informed once a clear vision emerges. However, the plan is to keep the network at its current level.

Commercial route strategy

ATD is not satisfied with the quality of the commercial bus route strategy developed by audit firm SIA “KPMG Baltics,” which was due by the end of February. The deadline has passed, and ATD has submitted comments and suggestions for improvements. Lapiņš noted that commercial routes will not replace public transport overnight – it is a medium- to long-term plan. The strategic decision will likely be made not in 2027 but in 2028, 2029, or even 2030, when the entire route network will need to be restructured to integrate commercial routes.

Lapiņš stressed that at the national level, a balance must be struck between entrepreneurs’ desire to profit and the state’s obligation to provide a broad route network for the public. The strategy is expected to be improved by the end of July.

Network for 2026

The regional public transport network for 2026 is planned at 73.76 million kilometers, a decrease of about 400,000 kilometers (0.5%) compared to 2025. The bus network is planned at 65.685 million kilometers (down 0.7%), while the train network is forecast at 8.078 million kilometers (up 0.4%).

In autumn 2025, the Public Transport Council approved the network forecast for 2026, but due to the postponement of optimization, it had to be approved in a new version. The suspended plan had proposed a subsidized bus network of 56.145 million kilometers, which would have been 16% less than the 2025 forecast.