There are currently 6026 licensed companies in Latvia, which deal with cargo and passenger transport, which is 9.3% more than last year. Despite an increase in the number of companies, the total volume of road freight and passenger transport by road has decreased due to COVID-19 restrictive measures.
For several consecutive years, Latvia has been carrying the most freight to Russia, Belarus, Germany, France, Italy, Poland. At the moment, however, given all restrictions related to COVID-19, the largest decrease in transport is directly to Russia, Italy and Germany.
The total fall in road freight transport in the first half of 2020 is around 30%. The fall is expected to accelerate as production and demand for goods have declined and a number of new restrictions gradually entering into force in the sector.
Despite the reduction in road transport volumes to Russia, Germany and Belarus, they remain the most demanding countries for Latvian road transport.
Latvian road carriers transport agricultural, fishery and forestry products most frequently. Relatively frequent are wood and wood products, as well as various metals. Due to border health checks and various restrictions, deliveries may be delayed for several days.
International passenger transport, which was closed for approximately two months, is now beginning to recover. 23 international routes have now been restored, for example towards Vilnius, Tallinn, Prague, Berlin, Warsaw and Stuttgart.
The Road Transport Administration is a single national policy in the field of international transport, licensing of entrepreneurship in the field of road transport (commercial carriage by road), co-ordination of access to the road transport market, monitoring of compliance with requirements regulating road transport operations, maintaining and developing an effective, safe, competitive, environment friendly and flexible public transport system.
