SDE, Greens to stage demonstration in front on Tallinn city council Thursday

TALLINN - Members of the Tallinn region of the non-parliamentary Estonian Greens and the opposition Social Democratic Party are to hold a demonstration in front of the Tallinn city council prior to the city council meeting on Thursday, demanding additional funding for public transport in Tallinn.

The Greens recently proposed to cut various redundant expenses in the city's budget for next year to allocate additional funds to public transport. By reducing the city's public relations costs and the millions allocated for the seemingly closed Tallinn TV and by eliminating other unnecessary expenses, funding for public transport could be increased by five percent compared to what has been outlined in the city government's budget for 2020.

At a meeting of the city council's finance committee this Monday, these proposals were not endorsed.

The Social Democrats and the Greens also demand a reshuffle in the city's public transport management in order to render it more professional. The supervisory board of the Tallinn public transport company Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT) is currently mainly made up of members of the Center Party. The city council's politician Deniss Borodits, who was elected as head of TLT in the wake of corruption scandals, has subsequently voted in favor of the Center Party, which is currently in the minority in the city council.

The demonstration is scheduled to begin in front of the Tallinn city council at 2:45 p.m.