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Ieva Brante, who represents the organizers of the signature drive, told LETA that the goal is to prevent discrimination against a significant number of residents in Riga, as well as an increase in the number of those exiting Latvia.

If 10,000 citizens sign the petition, it will be handed in to the parliament.

The signature drive organizers previously sent an open letter to Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Edmunds Sprudzs (Reform Party), which says that higher public transport fares will have a dramatic effect on low-income residents who cannot officially move to Riga. For instance, landlords who rent out apartments in Riga most often do not permit their tenants to declare such apartments as their official residence.

The letter also emphasizes that a large segment of the population work in Riga as they are unable to find jobs in their regions. "If public transport fares in Riga become more expensive, the above will be forced to look for jobs abroad. This especially concerns young and enterprising persons who live in regions and towns but have found, or are planning to find, a job in Riga. Therefore, higher public transport fares could result in a greater mass exodus.

On the other hand, if more people who currently live in regions decide to settle in Riga, this will affect the incomes of other local governments, who will therefore cut spending on schools, kindergartens, needy residents, transport and other municipal services.

The letter goes on to say that Riga is the capital of Latvia and many services offered by Riga are unavailable elsewhere in the country – most public institutions are located in Riga, as well as museums, theaters, the airport and hospitals, that provide services that other hospitals do not.

Finally, the letter says that higher public transport fares in Riga will mean more automobiles, and therefore – slower traffic and worse air quality.

As reported, Riga City Council decided on October 7 that, as of January 1 next year, residents who have declared Riga as their place of residence will have to pay LVL 0.42 (EUR 0.6) per one ride in Riga public transport system. The fare for all other passengers will be LVL 0.84 or EUR 1.20. The current fare is LVL 0.5.

Similar changes are planned in the prices of monthly passes, however, schoolchildren and students who study in Riga will have their public transport discounts increased, regardless of whether they live in Riga or not, from 60% to 80%.

The Riga City Council explains that differentiating public transport fares is meant to encourage the populace to declare Riga as their official place of residence, so personal income tax they pay goes to the Riga budget.

On the other hand, local governments and people who live in the vicinity of Riga are critical of the amendments, saying that people will now want to obtain fictitious residence declarations in Riga, budgets of local governments in the vicinity of Riga will become smaller, and many residents who live in the vicinity of Riga will now prefer traveling to Riga by automobile, which will increase traffic and environmental problems in the capital.

Riga is also being reproached for conduct that does not befit a state capital, because is Riga is home to many public institutions, service and culture centers, and therefore residents from other cities, towns and regions are being discriminated as they will have to pay more than Riga residents to access these services.

Riga City Council's opposition parties say the idea is populist and note that the Riga City Council cannot present any projections of what impact this "experiment" will have on the budget of Riga municipal public transport company Rigas satiksme.

Sprudzs has proposed that local governments in the vicinity of Riga consider covering transportation costs for those residents who travel to work in Riga every day.

"This new scheme puts the people who come to work in Riga in an unenviable situation – either buy an apartment in Riga to live here, and therefore avoid paying double fares for using Riga public transport, or pay more but continue to live in their current residences," said the minister.

It is unclear, however, if local governments in the vicinity of Riga will be ready to cover these costs.