Next week, Lithuania’s seaport city Klaipėda will launch its first water bus route along the river Dangė.
The eight-kilometre-long route will have five stops – starting in the Old Town and terminating in Tauralaukis. The electric water bus will cover the whole route in around one hour.
The test trip has already taken place this week.
“We were looking at what we needed to start the route successfully and safely. We were missing navigation signs and a little bit of safety measures when getting on and off the boat,” said Inga Kubilienė, head of the Urban Management Department at Klaipėda Municipality.
The electric water buses will run from 8:00 to 21:00. One bus will have ten passenger seats. Initially, the ticket was expected to cost 1 euro as in normal buses in Klaipėda, but it will be more expensive.
“The full price is 3 euros, and 2.40 with the Klaipėdietis card, and then there will be other discounts. [...] There will be two water buses, each doing four laps,” said Gintaras Neniškis, head of Klaipėda Passenger Transport.
Klaipėda residents support the innovative public transport solution but say that it will mainly attract tourists.
“I like this bus very much. In general, [the municipality] could develop this river transport more broadly. We have water, so we should use it,” a city resident told LRT TV.
“I mostly walk everywhere, and I think this bus will be very popular with tourists and city visitors,” said another.
The water bus will be integrated into the Klaipėda public transport system. Five drivers are being trained to operate it. The electric bus is able to sail 80 kilometres when fully charged.
The city is planning to operate the water bus during the summer season and only during the day – so far, neither the stops nor the boat are suitable for nighttime use.
LRT English
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