Lithuania to introduce 50% discount on train and intercity bus tickets
Because of high fuel prices, the Lithuanian government plans to temporarily halve public transport fares. The train discount starts on 9 October, while the bus discount is provisionally set for 1 November.
The Lithuanian government announced on Tuesday that a 50 percent discount will be applied to public transport tickets because of persistently high fuel prices, according to Vakaru Ekspresas.
Timeline
The discount on local train tickets will run from 9 October until the end of the year. For intercity buses, it is provisionally planned from 1 November to the end of December.
Minister's comments
Transport and Communications Minister Juras Taminskas said in a statement that residents had received the earlier decision to make train travel cheaper favourably, and that it helped soften the impact of higher fuel prices. With fuel prices rising again, the government is returning to measures that have already proved effective and is widening the range of options.
What remains to be decided
The bus discount requires amendments to the Law on Public Passenger Transport Benefits. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has prepared them, but the Seimas must still adopt them.
Once in force, the discount will apply to commercial regular bus routes, and the state will compensate carriers for their lost revenue.
