Drivers warned of heavier traffic as school year begins

Drivers should allow extra travel time as the new school year begins, LSM reported, citing the state road agency Latvijas valsts ceļi. Traffic, particularly in suburban areas, is expected to become heavier, while more children and school buses return to roads and streets.

All road users are urged to follow traffic rules, including speed limits and other restrictions near schools. Drivers should be especially careful during the first days of the school year, when children return to school.

The State Police will strengthen monitoring around schools in September. Sabīne Irbeniece-Česle, head of the police traffic safety management bureau, told Latvian Television’s Rīta Panorāma programme that the police would increase the number of officers near educational institutions where possible.

Children should also be reminded of road safety rules. New infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists has been built in many populated areas and near cities, and children may use it to travel to school. They should know how to use it correctly and take responsibility for their own safety and that of other road users.

Roadworks near schools in Ikšķile and Ulbroka may slow traffic. In Ulbroka, traffic near Ulbroka Secondary School on the Ulbroka–Ogre road, P5, is controlled by traffic lights and runs along one lane. The expected time to pass the section is about 15 minutes, and the work is scheduled for completion by the end of November.

In Ikšķile, two traffic lanes will be available on September 1 on Skolas Street beneath the Daugavpils highway, A6. After that, traffic will use one lane in alternating directions until the work is completed. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027.