Latvia, Legislation, Society, Transport

This is envisaged in amendments to the Riga City Council's contract with the municipal public transport company Rigas satiksme, which were approved by members of the Riga City Council's Traffic and Transport Affairs Committee today. The amendments will come into force in one month.

Experts from the Legal Affairs Office of the Riga City Council's Traffic Department note that in "particular circumstances" the local government may need to introduce temporary exceptions in order to solve traffic problems in the city, organize rescue operations in emergency situations, and suchlike.

Such Riga City Council executive director's decrees will have to be harmonized with Rigas satiksme beforehand, and the procedure of payment for such services will be agreed upon separately.

Information on such "particular circumstances" will be published at the Riga City Council's website www.riga.lv and other mass media.

The new amendment is based on Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs' (Harmony Center) initiative to permit motorists to use public transport for free in case of heavy snowfall in order to ease up traffic in the city and make it easier for the authorities to clear streets of snow.

The amendment is yet to be endorsed by the Riga City Council and harmonized with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.