Currently, passengers on Estonia's public rural bus routes are only allowed to exit at designated bus stops listed in the national public transport register and included on the bus schedule. Drivers are officially not permitted to drop passengers off outside of these stops, except on school bus routes.

The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture says their proposed rule change would enhance safety.

In its legislative intent to amend the Public Transport Act, the ministry notes that in rural areas, designated bus stops often aren't connected to pedestrian and bike paths. This forces people to walk along the side of highways to catch a bus — a particularly dangerous situation when it's dark out.

Andres Ruubas, head of the ministry's Public Transport Department, said that in the future, drivers would be able to use their discretion to drop passengers off outside of official stops in rural areas — such as at turnoffs to smaller roads that may be closer to their homes.

"If someone asks to be dropped off at this turnoff and the bus driver believes it's safe for everyone else, they can agree [to the request]," Ruubas told ERR, highlighting that currently, drivers aren't allowed to do so.

"But they don't have to — it's still up to the bus driver's discretion," he clarified, adding that a driver may still decide it's too dangerous in a given circumstance and drop the passenger off at the bus stop instead.

The ministry notes that bus drivers should take a variety of factors into consideration when assessing the safety of a drop-off, including speed limits, road width, visibility and other conditions.

For now, the proposed change would only apply to drop-offs.

Kaupo Kase, director of the Viljandi County Public Transport Center (VÜTK), said similar flexibility should apply to pickups too.

"This issue has been around for 15 years, and still no solution," Kase pointed out.

"There aren't actually many such locations, where people routinely want to get on and off [the bus]," he continued, adding that they could work on gradually adding these stops to schedules as well.

Ruubas noted, however, that letting riders on the bus outside stops is trickier than letting them off.

"I know that other Southern Estonian areas have also requested being able to get on the bus between [designated] stops," the ministry official acknowledged, but added that this would entail its own risks.

For example, he noted, riders may not be able to assess the safety of their pickup as accurately as drivers can.

Building new bus stops expensive

According to Kase, building designated bus stops is expensive, especially along national roads, where requirements are stricter.

He noted that on one pilot route in Viljandi County, the bus service itself cost €15,000, while building a few new stops along a national road ended up running €6,000.

The Viljandi transport chief believes discretion should be able to be used when building new bus stops regardless, such as the option to build a smaller stop at the head of a smaller side road.

"What's key is that it's located in a safe spot," he stressed.

Southeastern Public Transport Center (KÜTK) chief Sander Saar acknowledged that on busy roads like the Tallinn-Tartu Highway, strict state safety requirements are justified, such as the need for dedicated bus bays at stops.

Even so, he admitted that in Võru and Põlva counties, some new bus stops haven't been added along national roads precisely due to the cost.

Municipal mayor: Ministries' stances contradictory

While Saue Municipal Mayor Andres Laisk welcomed more local decision-making, he also warned that the change as proposed could spark disputes.

"A parent may want their child dropped off at their doorstep, but the driver may [refuse], arguing that it isn't safe," Laisk explained. "This needs to be cleared up a bit."

He also pointed out a contradiction: while the Regional Affairs Ministry is now proposing more flexibility for bus drop-offs, the Ministry of Education and Research recently tightened rules on school bus stops.

For Saue Municipality, granting bus drivers more flexibility in stopping wouldn't matter much on municipal roads, where the local government is already in charge of managing bus stops.

"The real problem is on national roads, where requirements are very strict and building [stops] is expensive and full of red tape," Laisk emphasized. "If drivers are willing to take that responsibility, this would be a help there."

According to Transport Administration data, there were 588 pedestrian accidents in 2022 and 2023 combined, involving 595 injuries and 28 deaths. Of these, 69 injuries and 12 deaths occurred outside of built-up areas.

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