Salacgrīva loses direct bus to Estonia; route shortened
From July 1, the cross-border bus between Estonia and Latvia will no longer serve Salacgrīva, ending at Ainaži instead. Funding for the project remains uncertain as the Latvian state budget lacks additional resources.
Starting July 1, the cross-border bus route Ikla–Ainaži–Salacgrīva will be modified. The service will no longer go to Salacgrīva, but will only run between Ikla and Ainaži, according to project public relations specialist Krista Blūma. Other trips on this route will continue as before, and the Valga–Valka route will operate unchanged throughout the summer, with Valga municipality funding it at least until autumn.
Residents of Salacgrīva will now need to take local transport or a private car to Ainaži to connect with the cross-border bus to Pärnu. The 8:00 AM bus from Pärnu will no longer go to Salacgrīva; it will depart from Ainaži to the Ikla border crossing, stopping at Brīvības iela stop. The 5:35 PM bus from Pärnu will only go as far as Ainaži. Meanwhile, the Ainaži–Treimane bus will start 39 minutes earlier, at 6:50 PM.
Project manager Lelde Ābele said the trial routes have proven their necessity: in the first ten months, over 8,400 passengers used Valga–Valka and over 9,700 used Ikla–Ainaži–Salacgrīva. However, long-term sustainability requires joint funding from both countries. Project partners propose splitting costs 50-50, meaning Latvia would contribute €17,236.54 annually for Valga–Valka and €23,644.52 for Ikla–Ainaži–Salacgrīva, considering ticket revenue.
The Latvian Ministry of Transport stated that no additional funds are available in this year's budget for such projects, although it supports mobility initiatives. The final funding model still needs approval from competent authorities in both countries.
