Latvia, Transport

The company's press secretary Viktors Zakis admitted that the parking lot was not a "success story". However, it has to be taken into consideration that this is not a parking lot built specifically for the purpose, just an area with all the necessary infrastructure in place where no money had to be invested. Therefore, Rigas satiksme was not expecting the parking lot to be in great demand.

"We have realized that, electronically, everything is working, and we are ready to continue," said Zakis. Rigas satiksme CEO Leons Bemhens said, however, that the company did not have any particular plans for the facility or its further development.

The first park-and-ride facility in Riga opened at the end of 2012. Originally a parking garage with 676 parking spaces built near a housing complex, its occupancy rate was just about 30%, therefore a decision was made to use the remaining area as a park-and-ride facility.

There Riga guests and residents could park their cars and use public transport to head to city center. However, less than 300 cases were registered in 2013 when drivers actually used the opportunity.

The parking lot is free of charge if the person who has parked his or her car there uses public transport at least twice that day.

Riga City Council previously said that the parking lot on Ulbrokas Street was just the first step and that a similar parking lot would be built at the "Dole" shopping mall. The goal is to ease traffic in the downtown.