Rīgas Satiksme

History

Rīgas Satiksme was founded on February 20, 2003 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 and re-branded as Rīgas Satiksme, making it the largest provider of public transport in Riga.

Buses

In 2005 Rīgas Satiksme was responsible for the operation of some 460 buses on a total of 57 routes across the city and its suburbs, as well as 15 regional routes connecting Riga with its surrounding towns.

Livery

All buses are painted blue and white except Ikarus E91's which are yellow.

Trolleybuses

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).

Rīgas Satiksme is responsible for the operation of 19 trolleybus routes throughout the city.

Livery

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

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, with the first electric trams starting operation in 1901. Tram construction 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.

Trams remain the principal mode of transport in Riga, with Rīgas Satiksme operating almost 300 units on 11 routes across the city. 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. Instead, 20 Škoda 15 T trams were built for Riga and entered service in spring 2010.

E-talons

On 1 March 2009 Rigas Satiksme implemented a new payment procedure for public transport in Riga. Single E-talons tickets are available, as are 24-hour, 3-day, 5-day and monthly passes. The fares remain the same. E-talons and tickets can be bought from various sales points 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 held in front of the electronic card reader.

Fares

NP - Non personalised card (no name or picture required) P - Personalised card (with name and a picture on it)

All tickets are valid 12 months from the date of issue.

Fares

A flat fare (applies from 1 February 2015) of 1.15 EUR per single journey ( 2.00 EUR, if bought from the driver) applies on all Rīgas Satiksme bus, tram and trolleybus services within the city boundaries. Fares on the regional bus routes vary depending on the journey destination.

The method of fare collection on public transport in Riga was by conductor since 1996, and indeed this practice was widespread on buses operated by Rīgas Satiksme even after conductors were phased out in trams and trolleybuses. Tickets were available for purchase from the driver or newsagents operating in the city.

An electronic ticket system was introduced in 2009, making paper tickets obsolete.

Car parking

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.

Vehicle rental

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.