Estonia, Legislation, Tourism, Transport

Delfi wrote yesterday that the state intends to build ships and start operating the mainland-islands traffic itself. Leedo’s Saaremaa Laevakompanii and firms associated to it have operated the routes between the mainland and larger islands since 1994.

Parts said that the state has a plan to build ships to better organise transport connections with islands but it concerns small islands.

“These ships are meant for five small islands,” Parts said, “Procurements are in one or another stage but in a couple of years these ships should be completed,” he said.

As to the Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and mainland connections, where the routes are serviced Leedo’s Väinamere Liinid, Parts said that these route agreements between the company and the state are in force till 2016. Parst said that the state is considering options of what should happen after 2016.

So far it has been easy for Leedo’s companies to negotiate with the state since they have had the ships that suit the routes best. Since there are no companies in sight who could offer competition to Väinamere Liinid, it has been impossible for the government to evaluate whether the bids have been the best in market conditions or not. However, since Leedo has recently bought several brand new ships for the routes, it is unlikely that the state would start building its own, the daily concluded.