Vilnius paves the way: electrifying public transport and enhancing accessibility

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has recently approved significant expansions of its public transport services. This includes the introduction of 12 new bus routes, with a mandate that these routes must be serviced exclusively by electric buses. The city council's decision also involves increasing the frequency of over half of the existing bus services, along with amending public procurement conditions for private carriers on regular bus routes. This decision aims to improve the bus network’s coverage, reduce waiting times for passengers and advance the city's sustainable mobility agenda.

Currently, Vilnius has 106 bus routes including express, regular, and trolleybus services. With new carriers entering the market and adjustments to route schedules, buses will run every 15 minutes during peak hours, even in remote areas. The plan also involves providing almost half of the new services through private carriers selected through tenders, aiming to raise the quality of public transport to a higher level through competition and the use of electric buses. Hence, these changes are in line with residents' primary concerns regarding the modernisation of the public transport fleet, route adjustments and increased trip frequency.

Vilnius Mayor, Valdas Benkunskas, highlighted that: "This liberalisation of the market will lead to greater competition among carriers, an updated bus fleet and route changes, ensuring the availability of public transport across various parts of the city, including remote and new districts. Furthermore, this shift is expected to reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector by introducing electric buses operated by private carriers."