Estonia, Markets and Companies, Russia, Transport

As a temporary measure, the company's buses take passengers to checkpoints on the Russian border, where passengers have to exit the bus to pass border checks and then to board a substitute bus.

"While understanding that an arrangement like this causes inconvenience to passengers, we are doing out best in this difficult situation. Our goal is to make sure that holiday season travel can take place as planned and we haven't canceled a single departure. At the border checkpoint passengers are assisted by bus crews and additional Lux Express employees dispatched there," Lux Express chief sales executive Sander Lohmus said.

Lohmus said crossing of the border has been taking place generally smoothly and there have been no substantial delays.

The temporary suspension of the license concerns only buses of ZAO Evrolains. Buses of Lux Express Estonia operating the Tallinn-St. Petersburg service are not affected by the changes.

ZAO Evrolains operates three departures daily on the Helsinki-St. Petersburg route and five daily on the Tallinn-St. Petersburg route.

By Monday evening Lux Express had received an official notification from Russian authorities that the license of ZAO Evrolains has been temporarily revoked in connection with some shortcomings in the company's operations. The company received instructions on Dec. 26 regarding some minor shortcomings in its service and was were given three months to solve theme. "The shortcomings did not prevent us from offering a quality and safe carriage service," Lohmus said on Tuesday, adding that the suspension of the license on Jan. 2 hit them as a surprise.