Public transportation rates to increase from April 1

RIGA - New public transportation rates for inter-city buses and trains will come into force on April 1, increasing by 5-7 percent on average, Latvian business portal Nozare.lv learned from the Road Transport Administration.

According to the plan, the new rates will save 1.8 millionlats (2.561 million euros) in the state budget and will not have any considerable impact on overall passenger flow.

The new tariffs will mostly affect those passengers who use long distance inter-city routes, whilst shorter routes will see reductions, explains the Road Transport Administration.

For example, a ticket from Karsava to Dagda, which currently costs 1.4lats, on April 1will cost 15 santims less, while a ticket from Riga to Valmiera will cost 3.35lats (currently - 3.10lats). Train tickets will also become slightly more expensive, for example, a ticket from Riga to Daugavpils will cost 25 santims more - 4.95lats.

Passengers, who ride short routes (up to 30 kilometers) outside Latvia's largest cities on the average will pay ten percent less. Those using long routes (above 150 kilometers) will pay 10 to 11 percent more.