Transport centers: Temporary bus stops needed in Southern counties

The heads of four Southern Estonian public transport centers propose creating new temporary bus stops as the locations of current bus stops do not always cover the needs of people.
The heads of Valga, Tartu, Jõgeva and Southeastern Public Transport Centers have sent a letter to the Road Administration (Maanteeamet) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, saying they are concerned by the distance Southern travellers need to cover on foot in order to reach the nearest bus stop.
"The location of a bus stop establishes the place where services offered overlap with the needs of travellers. With the current approach, we aren't servicing people. In order to make the existing route network more accessible to people, this paradigm needs to be modernised," the heads of centres said.
The current locations of bus stops are not always compatible with the needs of the people. The issue with building more bus stops, however, is that the duties are trusted to the local governments.
"We have examples of building a bus stop on both sides of a road in accordance with the requirements set by Maanteeamet that will cost around €10,000. These costs are often too high for local governments as the need for transport might not be long-term and the investment would not serve its purpose."
The heads of the Southern public transport centers have proposed to lay down an additional definition of a temporary bus stop in the regulation. According to the proposal, a temporary bus stop would be distinguished from others by being, for example, smaller and of green colour.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm