| Type | city municipality owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Headquarters | Riga, Latvia |
| Area served | Riga |
| Parent | N/A |
| Website | www.rigassatiksme.lv |
Rīgas Satiksme (English: Riga Traffic) is a limited liability company of Riga municipality which operates public transport and vehicle hire in the Latvian capital Riga and its surrounding areas. The organisation's principal activities involve the operation of the city's 476 buses, 354 trolleybuses and 267 trams.[1] It is also responsible for the operation of the city's car parks. It currently employs nearly 5000 staff members.[1]
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Rīgas Satiksme was founded on February 20, 2003[1] as an umbrella organisation for the respective operators of trams, buses and trolleybuses in the city of Riga. Two years later, the separate operators of the different modes of public transport were merged together and re-branded as Rīgas Satiksme, making it the largest provider of public transport in Riga.
In 1924, the first buses were put into service in Riga, initially operated by private companies, although by 1941 all buses in the city were taken over by the state. In the years between the end of World War II and the breakup of the Soviet Union, buses were under the control of the Ministry of Road Transport and latterly the city's Executive Committee. The 1960s saw vast improvement in the bus network, with the building of a new central bus station and the introduction of new Ikarus vehicles. In 1970, conductors were replaced by automatic ticket machines as the principal method of fare collection, although conductors were re-introduced in 1996. Until 1992, the bus network comprised two separate entities, and both were in desperate need of modernisation as they were re-structured into one single oragnisation. 1997 saw the introduction of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and the bus network has seen steady modernisation thereafter.
By 2005, Rīgas Satiksme was responsible for the operation of some 460 buses on a total of 57 routes [2] across the city and its suburbs, as well as 15 regional routes connecting Riga with its surrounding towns.[2] Buses are by far the most modern mode of public transport in the city, with a variety of models in service, including many newly delivered articulated and rigid vehicles built by Solaris (Urbino), Mercedes-Benz (Citaro, O345) and brand new Ikarus buses for regional routes, although many older Ikarus vehicles are still used in everyday service. By 2007, all old Ikarus vehicles had been removed from everyday service.
| Number | Start point | End point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abrenes Street | Pansionāts |
| 2 | Abrenes Street | Vecmīlgrāvis |
| 3 | Pļavnieki | Bolderāja |
| 4 | Abrenes Street | Piņķi |
| 4z | Abrenes Street | Zolitūde |
| 5 | Abrenas Street | Mežciems |
| 6 | Dreiliņi | Riga Central Station |
| 7 | Abrenes Street | Stīpnieki |
| 8 | Riga Central Station | Zolitūde |
| 9 | Abrenes Street | Saules dārzs |
| 10 | Abrenes Street | Brūkleņu Street - Jaunmārupe |
| 11 | Abrenes Street | Jaunciem's cemetery / Suži |
| 12 | Abrenes Street | Cooperative "Ziedonis" |
| 13 | Kleisti | Preču 2 |
| 14 | Abrenes Street | Zvēraudzētava |
| 15 | Jugla -3 | Dārziņi -2 |
| 16 | Abrenes Street | Mucenieki / Garkalnes Mucenieki |
| 18 | Abrenes Street | Dārziņi -2 |
| 19 | Jugla -3 | Sarkandaugava |
| 20 | Pļavnieku Cemetery | Pētersalas Street |
| 21 | Imanta -5 | Jugla -3 |
| 22 | Abrenes Street | Riga International Airport |
| 23 | Abrenes Street | Baloži |
| 24 | Abrenes Street | Mangaļsala |
| 25 | Abrenes Street | Mārupe |
| 26 | Abrenes Street | Katlakalns |
| 28 | Jugla -3 | Langstiņi |
| 29 | Jugla -3 | Vecmilgravis |
| 30 | Riga Central Station | Bolderāja |
| 31 | Jugla -3 | Dārziņi -2 |
| 32 | Abrenes Street | Piņķi |
| 33 | Abrenes Street | Kundziņsala |
| 34 | Pļavnieki | Saulīši |
| 35 | Abrenes Street | Zolitūdes Street |
| 36 | Imanta -5 | Vakarbuļļi |
| 37 | Imanta -5 | Esplanāde |
| 38 | Abrenes Street | Dzirciema Street |
| 39 | Abrenes Street | Lāčupe's Cemetery |
| 40 | Ziepniekkalns | Jugla -3 |
| 41 | Imanta -5 | Esplanāde |
| 42 | Riga Central Market | Ziepniekkalns |
| 44 | Zolitūde | Ziepniekkalns |
| 46 | Zolitūde | Ziepniekkalns |
| 47 | Abrenes Street | Šķirotava |
| 48 | Pļavnieki's Cemetery | Sarkandaugava |
| 49 | Rumbula | MAN-TESS |
| 50 | Aberenes Street | TEC-2 |
| 51 | Abrenes Street | Ulbroka |
| 52 | Abrenes Street | Pļavnieku Cemetery |
| 53 | Esplanāde | Zolitūde |
| 54 | Riga Central Station | Voleri |
Almost every regional bus route has been fixed since 1 January 2009. Some of them have been fixed, some routes are united with city routes and some routes have been extended.
| Number | Start point | End point |
|---|---|---|
| 10(Extented route) | Riga | Jaunmārupe |
| 55(New route instead of 853) | Riga | Jaunmārupe |
| 43 | Riga | Skulte |
All buses are painted blue and white except Ikarus E91's which are yellow.
The first trolleybuses in Riga entered service in 1947, using a portion of the budget initially set aside for the new tramway, with the intention of moving slightly slower trams away from the city centre to allow for faster trolleybuses. The service was operated initially by Soviet-built units, although these were later replaced by Škoda vehicles brought in from Czechoslovakia. Conductors remained on trolleybuses for 5 years after they disappeared from the buses, with electronic ticket machines replacing them in 1975. Conductors were re-introduced on the trolleybus network in 1997. From 2007 new electric ticket machines were installed and conductors disappeared. In 2009 electronic ticket machines were replaced with e-tickets (E-talons).[3]
Rīgas Satiksme is responsible for the operation of 19 trolleybus routes throughout the city.[2] In recent years (2000–2009) some of the older trolleybuses have been modernised while the rest have been replaced by new Solaris and Škoda trolleybuses. Some old non-moderniSed Škoda trolleybuses still run on the lines.
| Number | Start point | End point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pētersalas Street | Valmieras Street |
| 3 | Riga Central Market | Sarkandaugava |
| 5 | Daugavas Stadium | Riga Clinical Hospital |
| 9 | Iļģuciems | Riga Central Station |
| 11 | Ieriķu Street | Riga Central Station |
| 12 | Šmerlis | Āngenskalna priedes |
| 13 | Ieriķu Street | Riga Central Market |
| 14 | Mežciems | Esplanāde |
| 15 | Višķu Street | Latvian University |
| 16 | Šmerlis | Katlakalna Street |
| 17 | Purvciems | Riga Central Station |
| 18 | Mežciems | Riga Central Station |
| 19 | Pētersalas Street | Ziepniekkalns |
| 20 | Latvian Television | Latvian University |
| 22 | Katlakalna Street | E. Birznieka Upīša Street |
| 23 | Purvciems | Riga Central Station |
| 24 | Pētersalas Street | A/S "Dzintars" |
| 25 | Iļģuciems | Brīvības Street |
| 27 | Ābolu Street | Riga Central Station |
Trolleybuses are painted in the same blue and white colours as buses, although some carry advertising. Older trolleybuses still hold the old TTP two tone blue and white.
Trams have been in operation in Riga longer than any other mode of public transport, with the first horse-drawn trams entering service in 1882. In 1900 it was agreed that a number of electric tram lines would be built in the city, the construction of which continued until the outbreak of World War I. Operation of the tramways remained largely unchanged until 1918 and the emergence for the first time of Latvia as an independent nation, when a Belgian company took over. This period of private ownership was deemed a failure, and the city authorities regained control of the tram network in 1931. World War II devastated Riga's public transport system, and it was gradually re-built to its current level.[4]
Trams remain the principal mode of transport in Riga, with Rīgas Satiksme operating almost 300 units on 11 routes across the city.[2] The bulk of journeys on the tram network are operated by fairly elderly Tatra T3 units, which have been in service in Riga since long before Latvia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 2002, Rīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca signed an agreement with the Mayor of Riga which would see the company replace the trams in Riga once their period of operation ended in 2010. The new trams would have offered enhanced comfort and safety, as well as would be far quieter than the city's current fleet of elderly ČKD Tatra units. According to RVR they would have featured bright and spacious interiors and would have been 20-30% more power efficient than their predecessors. The new units were expected to be produced at a rate of 15-20 per year and would have resulted in a gradual phasing out of the Tatra tramcars.[5] Instead, 20 Škoda 15 T trams were built for Riga and entered service in spring 2010.
| Number | Start point | End point |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tapešu Street | Riga Central Market |
| 3 | Shopping Center "Dole" | Jugla |
| 4 | Imanta | Riga Central Market |
| 5 | Iļģuciems | Mīlgrāvis |
| 6 | Jugla | Riga Central Station |
| 7 | Shopping Center "Dole" | Ausekļa Street |
| 9 | Shopping Center "Dole" | A/S "Aldaris" |
| 10 | Bišumuiža | Riga Central Market |
| 11 | Mežaparks | Riga Central Station |
Most trams are painted in regular Rīgas Satiksme two-tone blue and white livery, although some are in special overall advertising liveries.
On 1 March 2009 Rigas Satiksme implemented a new payment procedure for public transport in Riga. Single E-talons tickets and tickets for 24-hour, 3-day, 5-day, or monthly periods are available. The fares remain the same. E-talons and tickets can be bought from ticket resellers around Riga. The ticket can also be bought from the driver at a higher price. When boarding public transport (bus, tram, or trolleybus) the ticket card is swiped in front of the electronic card reader.
| Ticket type | Fare LVL | Transport type | Routes | Drives | Notes | Card type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 hour ticket | 1.50 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All | Unlimited | Carton | |
| 3 day ticket | 4.60 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All | Unlimited | Carton | |
| 5 day ticket | ||||||
| 3.40 | One preferred transport | One route | Unlimited | Can be used only on one transport type and on one route. | Carton/NP/P | |
| 4.80 | One transport | All routes | Unlimited | Use one transport (trolleybus or bus or tram) for all routes | Carton/NP/P | |
| 5.60 | Two transports | All routes | Unlimited | Use two types of transport (ex. bus and tram) for all routs with these transport types | Carton/NP/P | |
| 7.60 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All routes | Unlimited | Use all transport for every route | Carton/NP/P | |
| 5 Rides | 2.00 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All routes | 5 | Use one ticket for one drive | Carton/NP/P |
| 10 rides | 3.80 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All routes | 10 | Use one ticket for one drive | Carton/NP/P |
| 20 rides | 7.20 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All routes | 20 | Use on ticket for one drive | Carton/NP/P |
| 1 ride | 0.70 | Trolleybus,bus,tram | All routes | 1 | Use ticket for one ride in all transports. Fare 0.70 only when buying a ticket from the driver | Paper |
NP - Non personalised card (no name or picture required) P - Personalised card (with name and a picture on it)
All tickets are valid 3 months from the date of issue.
A flat fare (applies from 1 January 2010) of 0.50 LVL per single journey (0.70 LVL, if the ticket is bought from the tram or trolleybus driver) is currently in operation by Rīgas Satiksme within the city boundaries. This applies to all bus, tram and trolleybus services. Fares on the regional bus routes vary depending on the journey destination.
The method of fare collection on public transport in Riga has since 1996,[6] been by conductor, and indeed this practice was widespread on buses operated by Rīgas Satiksme even after conductors where phased out in trams and trolleybuses. Tickets were available for purchase from the driver or newsagents operating in the city.
An electronic ticket system (similar to the Oyster Card system used in London) was introduced in 2009, making the registration of paper tickets and the conductor's job obsolete. This has increased the number of passengers who travel without paying the fare. More ticket control inspectors have been employed to deal with this problem, though many of these control inspectors previously worked as conductors. Many incidents have been reported about ticket control inspectors physically abusing passengers who are travelling without a ticket. It has also been reported that some of the inspectors carry electric stun guns. Ticket control inspectors do not have official standardised uniforms (the way that bus, tram, trolleybus drivers do).
Rīgas Satiksme took over the operation of car parks in Riga in 2005, the first of which was built in 1993 to introduce parking charged to the city. Electric parking meters were introduced in 1994 with the assistance of both Riga City Council and local authorities in Helsinki, Finland. Since 1996, the operation of car parks has gone hand-in-hand with the responsibility of the removal of illegally parked vehicles in the city. In 2001, it was decided that vehicular access to the city centre would be allowed only through use of a smart card, and such cards were later introduced as a method of payment for parking. A system of parking charges by SMS was introduced by Rīgas Satiksme in 2005.[7]
Vehicle rental, initially operated by SIA Rīgas domes autobāze, was set up in 1992 with the main goal of providing vehicles to Riga City Council, although it now offers rental services to the general public. Operated by Rīgas Satiksme since 2005, the service currently boasts 180 rental vehicles, comprising cars, minibuses, coaches and ambulances.[8]
Although the public transport network is generally well integrated and efficient, several problems can be noted in the day-to-day operation of the system. Issues concerning passenger safety arise from the layout of the tramway on many streets in Riga, whereby the tram lines are positioned in the centre of the road, with a lane of motor traffic on either side. As a result, it is necessary for passengers to cross the road in front of moving vehicles when boarding or alighting tramcars, although it is widely accepted that motor vehicles should stop behind stationary trams. As in any city of this size, public transport can become very crowded at peak times, and capacity boards on Tatra T3 tram cars show that as many as 167 standing passengers can be accommodated at any one time. This situation is not helped by the current system of fare collection on the trams, where passengers pay the driver at the front of the tram and then have to move to the middle of the tramcar to have their ticket stamped by a machine (a composter). There are also great problems with fare evasion on trams. Most units consist of two separate tram cars joined together, and since only the front car is manned, people can simply board the rear car and not pay the fare. This is possible due to the lack of conductors currently employed on trams in the city. Staff safety is also a problem on the Rīgas Satiksme network. On the trams, drivers do not have a vault to place money into, instead money is placed into grooves on the dashboard. The driver's cab on the tram is not covered, making theft and assault easy. This problem is also evident on buses and trolleybuses with conductors placing money in an open pouch. Finally, although Rīgas Satiksme employees are issued with uniforms, they are not required to wear them and it can therefore be difficult to distinguish employees from passengers.
Pasažieru Vilciens
Riga Airport