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Delfi was told by two specialists about the need for special lanes for public transport, the culture of drivers and how the image will change in the main Lithuanian cities over the next decade: a driving instructor who spends all day on the road and an expert in sustainable mobility.
Driving instructor Algis (surname known to the publisher – ed.) He has worked in one of the largest cities in Lithuania for several years. He agreed that the relationship between public transportation and car drivers is quite complicated.
“There is no culture. Public transportation leaving the station is not lost, especially in some large Lithuanian cities. Those young people who have just retained their rights, beginners, still miss them. And forty years, say, expert drivers do not. are.
Urban transport must be treated with respect, and that is not the case here yet. While bus and trolleybus drivers are also intolerant of some. According to the rules, I have to skip it, and the bus driver must make sure I can travel. We need mutual understanding, “said Algis.
Would there be more order and clarity if there were more lanes in the city just for public transportation? The driving instructor agreed that the developed network of lanes A would provide clarity.
“I think it would be better. Then there would be more information, and it would be clearer for everyone who could go where, there would be no need to lose / lose the question, ”agreed the instructor.
While traveling, the man also noted the experience of other countries. What is the relationship between cars and public transport in other European countries?
“The Austrians and Germans especially follow the rules. There are more specific lanes for public transport. Greater, of course, and a culture of car drivers. We still have something to learn from them,” said Algis.
Jonas Damidavičius, expert in sustainable mobility and representative of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said that the culture and situations on the streets were one of the reasons why the development of public transport lanes would be very useful, since they are not yet sufficiently equipped.
“There are still very few public transport lanes in cities, they are fragmented, they are intermittent. There is no integrated network through the city, which ensures rapid movement of public transport,” said J. Damidavičius.
There are plans to expand the network of public transportation lanes in major cities. How many will appear? Each municipality will decide separately.
“How many of them will be in which city will be decided by the municipality of that city? However, the EU investment is an incentive. The development of public transport lanes is included in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans and financing is provided for its installation ”, said the expert.
The need for development is obvious. There are at least two serious reasons for this.
“If we want to create competitive public transport for the car, we have to reduce the biggest differences.” One of them is travel time.
All supporters of personal transportation often point out that public transportation does not offer the same speed as a car. It is the public transport lane that would mean significantly changing the length of the journey.
If a network of public transportation lanes were developed throughout the city, travel would be significantly reduced. This would create fair competition. Also, people would feel the pleasure of traveling while driving without interruption.
The second important reason is that with more lanes, there would be fewer conflict situations on the streets. Most of us have seen that public transportation has to stop and a car doesn’t miss it. You will see it less and less during the day, but during the morning or at night, the drivers still lack culture ”, J. Damidavičius did not hide.
The municipalities have developed Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, and most of them calculate how much the speed of public transport would increase if the measures provided for in the plan were implemented. Of course, the fastest trips depend not only on Lanes A, but also on the proper organization of the routes.
As an example, we can mention the situation at the Vilnius “Green Bridge” station. There are many routes that cross there, so sometimes even 4 or 5 public vehicles come to a point; then, while three are at the entrance, the other two have to stand on the bridge.
All of this will change over time. The implementation of the measures for the development of public transport foreseen in the sustainable urban mobility plans depends on the available funding, but the objectives established in the plans aim to achieve a significant change in the use of public transport by 2030. The expert already You are noticing changes in passenger behavior.
“It just caught our eye then. The pride of owning a car has not yet disappeared, but it is noticeable that more and more young people are choosing public transportation as their primary form of transportation, which is becoming a new fad. Young people who They think about ecology and automobile freedom in their city are making public transport trips more and more fashionable.
Furthermore, the municipalities themselves try to attract new passengers, organize campaigns and initiatives, and the passengers share their photos and impressions.
Improving public transportation in itself also offers an incentive to use public transportation, as people had not enjoyed driving old and uncomfortable trolleybuses or buses. And when these were replaced by new and modern ones, travel became more comfortable and safer, “said J. Damidavičius, adding that public transport is mainly chosen by those who want to use time efficiently.
After all, they can both read a book, write emails, and listen to their favorite shows while driving.
2014-2020 In the financial period, it is planned to invest around 1,085 billion in the Lithuanian transport sector. European Union funds. More than 88 million € 1 million is earmarked for sustainable mobility projects. These investments will help the country to promote sustainable intermodality and develop ecological transport to reduce carbon emissions.
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