State-subsidized buses and trains run between Rīga and Liepāja, as well as commercial transport. In addition, this summer, after a break of several years, several flights have been scheduled. This means that the diversity of transport between the two cities is the richest in Latvia.
The Mayor of Liepāja, Gunārs Ansiņš (Liepāja Party), told Latvian Radio that the municipality is interested in opening a bus link with the Lithuanian city of Klaipėda, which is a hundred kilometers away. The city has approached the international carrier "Lux Express", which regularly operates commercial services between Rīga and Liepāja. The potential route would also include a stop in the resort town of Palanga, which is regularly served by buses from Rīga.
Ansiņš said: "Lux Express is currently analyzing the economics of this data. What they have promised the city of Liepāja is to calculate it, work it out, and inform the public when it is known. I think that [the plan] could be very positive. Especially in the summer months. Especially seeing that the interest of Klaipeda residents in visiting the beach in Liepāja is growing every day, every hour."
Last year, Liepāa welcomed a record number of visitors - around 113,000. Of these, the largest number of foreign tourists came from Lithuania - more than 17,000. This is according to data from the municipality.
In recent years, more and more Lithuanians have been visiting Liepāja. This interest was observed by Lux Express, which wanted to find out how permanent it is.
Aldis Ķibēns, Head of Baltic Business Development at Lux Express, said: "We need to understand if Lithuanians are interested in coming to Liepāja also in the autumn and winter season, and secondly if they would be interested in coming to Liepāja by bus instead of in their private cars. Once we have confirmation on these two issues, we can come back to a more concrete conversation. I think that we will not open the route this year. If we did, it would certainly be an extension of the Rīga-Liepāja route. It is very difficult to say at the moment because, as I said, we need to understand how much demand there is."
To set up such a route, the operator will have to take into account conditions. The carrier will not be allowed to drop off passengers in Liepāja on the potential international Riga-Klaipeda route. Otherwise, the route will compete with domestic services, which is not allowed, as stated by the Road Transport Directorate (ATD).
ATD spokesman Viktors Zaķis noted: "If a Riga-Klaipeda route is opened, for example, with an entry in Liepāja, then this passenger can travel from Rīga to Klaipeda or from Liepāja to Klaipeda, but they cannot travel from Rīga to Liepaja. Of course, this carrier may have a permit to carry out domestic services Rīga-Liepāja and then continues with another route, already Liepāja-Klaipeda, but this is indeed another route with other tickets, with other requirements, with all the ensuing consequences, including legislative issues. (...) There are two requirements - for international carriage and for domestic carriage. And where these authorizations are given for international carriage, they are usually given without the right to carry out domestic carriage."
If Liepāja residents are able to take a bus to Klaipėda, it will be the first international service for Liepaja in recent years. Previously, the Liepāja-Marijampole route was operated by Norma-A.
ATD observed that demand for international transport in Latvia is increasing. The Directorate estimates that this is due to the increase in air fares.
