Riga's Executive Director announced that city services are prepared to manage expected snowfall and will not implement snowstorm tickets this Friday, which are typically used to encourage public transport use during adverse weather.
The Executive Director of Riga has stated that city services are fully equipped to handle the anticipated snowfall, and therefore, there will be no introduction of snowstorm tickets this Friday. The decision comes in light of the assurance provided by the services demonstrating their capability to manage the predicted volume of snow effectively. Snowstorm tickets are traditionally introduced to promote the use of public transport, aiming to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate faster snow clearance from the streets.
On average, the implementation of snowstorm tickets costs the Riga municipality up to 200,000 euros on a snowstorm day, which acts as compensation to the transport company RΔ«gas satiksme for the additional passenger capacity required. As of now, the city has spent less than 50% of its winter road maintenance budget, which exceeds 20 million euros, indicating efficient resource utilization. Around 10 million euros have already been allocated since October of last year.
Despite the stable winter thus far, accompanied by a minimal snow layer since early January, the municipality continues to receive complaints from residents regarding street cleanliness. The Executive Director encouraged citizens to report any inadequacies they observe, emphasizing a collaborative effort in maintaining the cityβs infrastructure during winter conditions.
