Residents of nine counties invited to share opinions on public transport

TALLINN – Residents of Hiiumaa, Jõgeva, Järva, Põlva, Pärnu, Tartu, Viljandi, Valga, and Võru counties now have the opportunity to weigh in on the development of their region's public transport network. By participating in a survey, their feedback will be used to plan updates to the route network.

The survey aims to identify the public transport goals that residents consider most important, the problems with the current system, and how well it meets people's actual travel needs, announced the Tallinn Centre of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

According to Andres Ruubas, head of the public transport department at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the state must make strategic choices when planning public transport to use limited resources as efficiently as possible and to balance different expectations and needs.

The collected data will be used to plan the modernization of the route network and to prepare for regional workshops in October. The survey is open until September 21, and all responses will be analyzed anonymously.

Similar collaborative processes for developing the route network have already taken place in Harju, Viru, Lääne, Rapla, and Saare counties, and will continue this autumn in these nine counties.

The goal of the public transport reform planned by the ministry is to make public transport more convenient and accessible for users, thereby increasing its appeal.