Tartu – Riga bus services have become less frequent, and according to Lux Express, passenger numbers on the route have fallen. With the direct morning connection to the Latvian capital disappearing last fall, the City of Tartu is now considering subsidizing it.
The Estonian government is providing €1 million a year in subsidies for the new the Tartu-Riga direct train line, which made its first departure on Monday. However, occupancy rates on bus lines taking the same route but operating under market conditions, have dropped.
Last fall, the morning Lux Express bus from Tartu to Riga disappeared from the schedule. During the low tourism season, the bus line is not as profitable as the train.
“According to our calculations, it needs around €4,000 for nine months of the year. The number of our passengers has decreased by around 30 percent, and we would in fact like to operate routes that do not depend on subsidies,” said Ingmar Roos, CEO of Lux Express.
Lux Express wants Latvia to grant it the right to serve domestic passengers. That would mean, similar to the newly opened train line, Lux Express buses could also stop at intermediate stops on the way from Tartu to Riga.
Read more: ERR.EE
