Bus carriers' protest on 16 September may also affect Ogre municipality residents
Regional public transport carriers plan a one-day halt of state-ordered bus services on 16 September, potentially affecting routes serving the Aizkraukle-Ogre area. The Road Transport Directorate has asked carriers to reassess the need for the protest and inform passengers promptly.
Members of the Latvian Passenger Carriers Association (LPPA) holding ten-year long-term contracts plan to suspend state-ordered public transport services for one day on 16 September. Since the "Aizkraukle, Ogre" route network normally runs 403 trips daily, the protest could also affect residents of Ogre municipality who rely on buses to reach work, school or medical facilities.
Directorate urges carriers to reconsider
The Road Transport Directorate (ATD) has sent a letter to carriers urging them to carefully weigh whether the protest is necessary and to promptly provide accurate information — both to the directorate and to passengers — about the scale of cancelled trips. ATD also asked whether carriers choosing not to join the protest could add extra trips to reduce the impact on passengers.
It is known that AS "Cataa", which holds a three-year contract, and SIA "Latvijas sabiedriskais autobuss", which is not an LPPA member, will not join the protest. LPPA president Ivo Ošenieks said the exact number of participating carriers is not yet known, though most are expected to take part.
On an average working day, Latvia runs about 880 regional routes comprising nearly 5,000 trips.
Carriers' demands and government response
LPPA is demanding a solution for indexing long-term contracts, additional funding to cover rising costs, and compensation for fuel price increases linked to the Middle East conflict. The association has requested that ATD amend the contracts by 15 September.
The Transport Ministry has already requested an additional €9.8 million to ensure continuity of services through the end of 2026. Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stressed that one-off funding cannot fix the sector's structural financing problems, calling for base funding of €93.78 million to be maintained alongside an extra €15 million annually tied to efficiency measures.
