Riga induces drivers to take public transport with ‘snow tickets’

These allow car owners to ride for free when heavy winter conditions make driving unsafe

It may sound strange, but winter has not yet left for good in certain parts of Europe. Heavy April snowfall battered Latvia yesterday, continuing today, and this prompted the City of Riga to introduce the so-called “snow tickets” allowing drivers to use public transport free of charge.

These “tickets” aren’t specially issued documents though. Simply, the light vehicle registration certificate or car technical passport will be considered a valid document for driving in public transport. The mentioned document must be presented as a document valid for driving only during the control checks. It does not need to be presented to the public transport driver.

Taking cars off the road in dangerous weather

It is not necessary for the rider to show a driver's license. The car's technical passport certifies that the specific vehicle is not in traffic at that moment, which is the goal of the municipality.

The ‘snow tickets’ measure was speedily introduced because given that it’s the middle of April drivers have already equipped their cars with summer tyres. That means that the new layer of snow and the resultant icing will create extremely dangerous conditions for driving, raising the possibility of accidents.

Such tickets are introduced by the municipality in order to reduce traffic intensity during or after heavy snowfall, thus facilitating the work of street maintenance equipment. They, however, are only allowed during extreme weather conditions and when the municipal authorities vet their use. For this purpose, it’s necessary to follow the media and the municipal social media channels.

In addition, the local authorities are urging residents, where possible, to work remotely and stay home during heavy weather conditions.