Deputy mayor: Electric vehicles not the ones clogging Tallinn's bus lanes

Better supervision of cars clogging the capital's bus lanes requires an amendment, Tallinn Deputy Mayor Vladimir Svet told ERR's "Otse uudistemajast" webcast.
Asked whether electric vehicles should no longer be allowed to use bus lanes in Tallinn because they get in the way of public transport, Svet said that the problem is not with motorists who have the right to use public transit lanes but rather with cars that shouldn't be there in the first place.
"The problem is that only the police have the right to exercise supervision. In other words, a police officer needs to stand on the corner, make sure and exercise supervision. If we want this situation to change, we need to do something about the law, which only prescribes very limited supervision. Personally, I believe we should allow local governments to create automatic control mechanisms to monitor use of public transport lanes. Like cameras," Svet said.
He added that should the number of electric vehicles grow enough to pose such a problem, the regulation that currently allows EVs to freely use bus lanes will be changed.
"Making public transport faster is a priority both for the Transport Administration and Tallinn city transport, and creating bus lanes is one direct way to achieve that. I'm not sure we'll get around to making more this year, but the Transport Administration should in the next six months have a proposal for us where more might be created in the coming years. We perceive great potential for faster public transport speeds," the deputy mayor said.
He gave the example of Paldiski maantee where reconstruction between Rocca al Mare and Tähetorni tänav will see bus lanes created in both directions of travel.
Svet also said that Tallinn could add a small public transport center on the city limits or even outside them in a neighboring municipality, complete with a park and ride parking lot and a public transport hub.
Second stage of Tallinn's bus reform to start in fall
This year will see the next phase of Tallinn's bus lines reform, which is far more extensive than what was introduced in the summer of 2023.
"All routes we changed in the summer have seen more passengers, with gains of 15 percent in the case of some. If someone asks me what the purpose of altering the public transport network is, it is to attract more users," Svet said.
The city will postpone the changes until the fall to have more time to discuss them with local residents.
"We have commissioned an outside audit for our plans the results of which should be ready by mid-spring, which is when we want to have more time for communication and debates as well as adjustments should they be needed. We learned last year that people want to be involved more, understand more, and we will be correcting our past mistakes.
The other reason for postponing the bus lines reform until fall is rather more prosaic, Svet suggested. Namely that major roadworks are planned for the spring and summer period this year. "Because people were confused by the changes happening at the same time traffic was temporarily rerouted, this year we want to introduce them once normal traffic has been restored. I will not give you a definitive date at this time, while I believe it will be October 1 or November 1."
Tallinn will unveil more detailed plans of how to change its city bus lines in early May. "The main attention will be on links inside western Tallinn and between the western and central parts of the city. We currently have two areas that lack sufficient public transport coverage. They are Tiskre and Astangu," Svet remarked.
The other thing the bus reform will try to achieve is linking Põhja-Tallinn to Haabersti. "It has been talked about for years. Considering that both districts have become attraction centers and more jobs are being created there. We do not have to concentrate only on the city center," the deputy mayor said.
But Svet added that people should also not expect to have express lines going to the city center from every urban region. "On the contrary, what we should concentrate on is making sure people can grab transfers quickly and conveniently. It is not good when catching the next bus requires the person to cross several intersections. Therefore, talking about a lines reform, we are not just talking about different routes, but also about schedules and having departures that are in sync."
He added that the city is organizing public transport based on data and figures, leaving emotions aside.
Commenting on the situation in the city government, Svet said that the ruling coalition – Center and the Social Democrats – has been operating effectively, also in recent months when the media has been writing about an imminent collapse.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Marcus Turovski