Riga plans six-minute ferry link between Bolderaja and Vecmilgravis

Riga could launch a ferry service between Bolderaja and Vecmilgravis next April, LSM reported. A one-way ticket would cost 1.50 euros and the journey would take about six minutes.

The pilot project was discussed on Monday at a meeting of the Riga City Council committee responsible for urban development. It would create a passenger connection between the two banks of the Daugava.

Vecmilgravis is on the river’s right bank, while Bolderaja is on the opposite side. The nearest land crossing is Vanšu Bridge in central Riga. Travelling by bus between the two neighbourhoods can currently take more than an hour without traffic congestion.

Captain Māris Klaužs, a potential operator and board member of Jaunā Vecrīga Ltd, said the ferry journey would take six minutes. The company is awaiting a decision from the Riga City Council on the project, and Klaužs said it was not yet possible to estimate demand.

The plan calls for four trips a day to Bolderaja and four to Vecmilgravis. The one-way fare would be the same as the current price of a journey on Riga public transport.

Signe Pērkone of the Riga City Development Department said the city had conducted market research by surveying operators. The pilot project would run for five months during the warm season, with passenger numbers recorded on the Bolderaja to Vecmilgravis route.

Two operators submitted offers of about 50,000 to 60,000 euros for the five-month period. The proposed sum does not include improvements to the infrastructure, but committee chairman Edgars Bergholcs said those works would not be expensive.

The city also plans to connect other parts of Riga by ferry in the future, including Bolderaja with Sarkandaugava and Sarkandaugava with Ilguciems.