Estonia to end free bus travel over lack of funds

TALLINN

Estonia's Regional Ministry on Nov. 8 said the Baltic state was ending its free bus program in order to finance the development of its public transport network. 

Estonia had been the first European country to introduce the free perk across nearly all of its territory back in 2018. 

Starting from January, "paid tickets for working age passengers will be introduced on county bus lines," Regional Ministry spokeswoman Deisi Helemae-Sarv said.

"Public transport is chronically underfunded and the system lacks the money for the development of the line network," she told AFP.

Bus rides will remain free for children, the disabled and the elderly, she added.

Eleven out of 15 counties had previously offered free regional bus transport.

The goal had been to limit rural flights and fossil fuel consumption.

However, Regional Minister Madis Kallas said the initiative had not proven effective.

"It has not brought people from cars to public transport in large numbers," he told the Tartu Postimees newspaper.

"Now we have to look for new solutions."

He added that ending the program would allow Estonia to improve its public transport network.

"We have to work on ensuring that routes become faster and more convenient," he said.