The Lithuanian capital is working to present a brushed-up image to the NATO state leaders and delegations that will descend on Vilnius in mid-July.
Vilnius is hosting the NATO summit on July 11-12.
In addition to repaving streets and touching up facades around the airport, the summit venue and the Old Town, Vilnius authorities are also temporarily removing the oldest trolleybuses serving the city’s public transport network.
In particular, the old Škoda stock, made in former Czechoslovakia, will be put out of sight.
“New trolleybuses will be running in the city during the NATO summit, while the old Škoda trolleybuses will only be released if there is an additional need to change or add to the planned routes,” said Giedrė Buivydaitė, spokeswoman for the municipal company Vilniaus Viešasis Transportas (VVT, Vilnius Public Transport).
A the same time, bus and trolleybus drivers will receive additional instructions. “They will receive training on how to provide quality service on special routes, as well as memos on how to deal with specific cases or unplanned situations,” according to Buivydaitė.
During the two-day summit, public transport routes and schedules will be altered to bypass zones under traffic restrictions. However, all public transport will be free between July 10-13. “This solution will compensate for the inconvenience caused to Vilnius residents and visitors by the restriction of car traffic,” said Buivydaitė.
Some forms of traffic restrictions will be in place between July 7-13. These will be focused in three zones: the Old Town, Gedimino Avenue, and Upės Street; the zone around the Litexpo Congress Centre in the west of the city; and around Vilnius Airport.
Areas around the Litexpo centre, the main venue of the summit, will be completely sealed off for non-authorised access between July 7-12. Meanwhile, most of the Old Town will only be accessible on foot between July 10-13.
More information about traffic restrictions during the NATO summit is available here.
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