VTU Valmiera to run all regional bus routes on September 16

SIA "VTU Valmiera", a company fully owned by the Valmiera municipality, will provide all regional public transport services on September 16 according to the usual bus schedule. This was confirmed by Kristīne Melece, head of the municipality's Branding and Public Relations Department.

The decision relates to a nationwide protest, "One Day Without Regional Public Transport," organized by the Latvian Passenger Carriers Association, during which several carriers across Latvia plan to suspend regional route services for one day.

Reasons behind the decision

The Valmiera municipality and SIA "VTU Valmiera" state they support the goals of the protest — drawing attention to the critical importance of public transport in the regions, insufficient state funding for the sector, and the long-unresolved issue of indexing long-term contracts, given significant increases in fuel prices and inflation since the contracts were signed.

However, as the company's owner, the municipality decided that, in residents' interests, SIA "VTU Valmiera" would not join the protest on that day and would instead run all regional routes. The municipality emphasized how vital public transport is for residents to get to work, children to school, and for people to reach previously scheduled medical and other services.

Initial plans changed

SIA "VTU Valmiera" had originally planned to join the protest only partially — on routes covered by long-term 10-year contracts without annual indexation, while continuing service on routes that do include annual indexation. Given the reasons outlined above, the company ultimately decided not to join the protest at all, and will fully operate all regional routes on September 16, ensuring passengers uninterrupted access to public transport.