Bus operators' protest cancels over 2,500 regional routes across Latvia

On Wednesday, Latvia's Road Transport Directorate (ATD) reported that 2,539 regional bus routes had not been completed nationwide by 5 p.m. as eight carriers took part in a protest dubbed "A Day Without Regional Public Transport," organized by the Latvian Passenger Carriers Association (LPPA). Organizers said the total number of canceled trips could reach around 3,000 by the end of the day, affecting roughly 60,000 passengers.

Which operators joined the protest

The carriers taking part include SIA "Daugavpils autobusu parks," SIA "Hansabuss Latvija," AS "Talsu autotransports," AS "Rēzeknes autobusu parks," SIA "Norma-A" (operating under the Ecolines brand), AS "Liepājas autobusu parks," AS "Nordeka," and SIA "Dautrans." Meanwhile, AS "Cata" continued operating its Cēsis route network, and SIA "Latvijas sabiedriskais autobuss" kept running services in the Kuldīga and Saldus areas, along with several routes near Riga, including Mārupe, Ādaži, Jūrmala, Baloži and Jaunmārupe. Municipal companies SIA "Ventspils reiss" and SIA "Valmiera VTU," which serve the Limbaži–Sigulda and Valmiera–Valka–Smiltene networks, also did not join the protest. Municipalities have been notified of the canceled trips, and passengers can find updated information on operators' websites, social media, and the ATD website.

Potential fines and protest demands

ATD board chairman Jānis Lapiņš said some protest participants could face fines exceeding 100,000 euros for unfulfilled trips, as contracts set penalties per canceled route that increase once the number of missed trips crosses a certain threshold. Through the protest, the LPPA is calling for an urgent solution to indexing long-term contracts for regional bus carriers and for additional funding to cover significant cost increases. The association is also demanding compensation for fuel price hikes caused by the Middle East conflict, as well as state budget funds to cover costs arising from amending the long-term contracts.