Latvian passenger carriers want minister to step down / Article

A letter with this request was sent to the Prime Minister by the Latvian Passenger Transport Association, which brings together 25 carriers throughout Latvia.

The association’s president, Ivo Ošenieks, said he is categorically opposed to what is currently happening in the field of passenger transport.

“We consider it our duty to inform the Prime Minister that such a policy by the responsible ministry, with its utopian solutions and experiments, will have a catastrophic impact on the industry and, most importantly, that the planned reforms will affect residents in the regions, who will practically have to figure out for themselves how to get to work, to the doctor, and even to the store,” emphasized Ošenieks.

He stressed: “One example is the plan that nearly 50 ‘transport on demand’ units will be able to serve a quarter of Latvia – it doesn’t sound serious. The same goes for the desire to transfer passengers to trains, knowing the state of the railway network in Latvia. Instead of meaningfully and purposefully addressing the issue of long-term contract prices and gradually stabilising the situation in the sector in line with the rise in costs in the country, it chooses to experiment with residents and their mobility options.”

The association and passenger carriers met with the Ministry of Transport and ATD management more than four times in 2025 to discuss possible solutions to stabilise the situation in the industry so as not to jeopardise passenger mobility and, at the same time, the economic viability of passenger carriers.

On January 7th this year, the Minister of Transport held a regular meeting with the industry, at which no answers were given to questions of importance to the industry, according to the association.

The association also points to the minister’s lack of interest in seeking dialogue with the industry.

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