Riga night buses carry twice as many passengers this year

Riga’s night buses carried nearly 22,000 passengers in less than six months this year, about twice last year’s total, LSM reported, citing the Rīgas satiksme public transport company. The increase came as the city operated more night routes.

The first route began running in April between the city centre and the airport. Seven more routes were added less than a month later, serving Mežciems via Teika and Jugla, Vecmīlgrāvis via Sarkandaugava, Iļģuciems and Daugavgrīva, Imanta, Zolitūde and Āgenskalns, Purvciems, Pļavnieki and Dārzciems, Ķengarags, and Ziepniekkalns.

The seven additional routes ran on weekends until the end of September. The airport route continues every night. It was the busiest, carrying more than 7,300 passengers, about a third of the total across all eight routes. The second-busiest route, connecting the city centre with Teika, Jugla and Mežciems, carried around 3,500.

Rīgas satiksme representative Baiba Bartaševiča-Feldmane said the company had expanded the network this season to cover more of the city’s larger neighbourhoods. Passenger numbers were generally highest on the first departures just after midnight and fell as the morning approached.

The company ended most services in September because it had observed lower demand for night transport in October last year. Demand on the city centre–airport route has continued, however. Riga Airport, which handles several flights at night, welcomed the service.

Latvijas Pasts, located next to the airport, also said it was pleased with the route. Around 10 of the company’s employees regularly use the night bus after previously travelling to work by private car. Company representative Annija Prisjolkova-Bottiglieri said the number was likely to grow as the Christmas parcel season approached.