Minister scraps plan to expand islanders' ferry fare discount

Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Terras (Eesti 200) has canceled a regulation signed by former minister Piret Hartman (SDE) at the end of her term that would have expanded ferry fare discounts for residents of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. The regulation was set to take effect May 1.
In her final days in office in March, Hartman enacted a regulation that would have expanded ferry fare discounts for residents of Estonia's two biggest islands — Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
Until now, a 100 percent fare discount has applied on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route for residents of Saare County and on the Rohuküla-Heltermaa route for Hiiu County residents. Under the planned regulation, this discount would have expanded to include Hiiumaa residents traveling to Saaremaa and vice versa as well. This regulation was slated to take effect next week, on May 1.
However, the new regional affairs minister, Hendrik Terras (Eesti 200), signed a regulation on April 17 repealing Hartman's initiative.
Andres Ruubas, head of the Public Transport Department at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, explained to ERR that it wouldn't have been technically possible to implement the planned discount within the given timeframe.
"Likewise, the impact of the changes had not been thoroughly analyzed, and would have had a negative impact on the state budget," Ruubas added. "The ministry currently has no plans to reverse the cancellation."
The ferry fare discount plan isn't the only late-term initiative by Hartman that has been scrapped.
Climate Minister Yoko Alender (Reform), who served as acting regional affairs minister prior to Terras' appointment, also canceled Hartman's regional director hiring competition, the decision to fund the Haapsalu railway and a draft regulation on unpackaged food.
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Editor: Karin Koppel, Aili Vahtla