Klaipėda, on the Dane River, a regular water bus should run next summer.
This issue was discussed this week in the Maritime and Inland Water Affairs Commission of Klaipėda Municipality.
As Klaipėda Vice Mayor Arūnas Barbšys told BNS, it was planned that such a route would run already this summer, but it will not be possible to implement all the planned works.
"The plan was that in the middle of June there will be paths, pontoons, the competition is over and the winner is known who could start floating (...) Conditions are changing, we will be late with the pontoons, they are being designed. It was supposed to be a project in November-December, but it will be moved to next year," said A. Barbšys.
According to him, the process is moving, landings at the pontoons are being designed, which must be adapted for the disabled.
"Landings must be low. In some places, the water level rises by almost two meters, it is submerged, it was not assessed, so it took a while," said the vice mayor.
It is planned that water bus services on Danė River will be provided by the company that won the tender. The company "Klaipėdos keleijinis transportas" will be tasked with organizing the tender.
As the temporary manager of this company, Andrius Samuilovas, told the members of the commission, it is planned that the service will be provided by two electric water vehicles, and another one will be used as a reserve.
It is planned to sail only during the summer season, and passengers can use cards valid on buses for payment.
"We have not found such an electric passenger small transport anywhere in Lithuania. We tried to copy the pricing according to the length of the route, similar in length to Dreverna-Juodkrantė", said A. Samuilovas.
The water bus would stop at six stops: old town, Joniškės, Liepų streets. bridge, Danė bend, Žolynė residential area and at KU Botanical Garden. The length of the Danė river route is 7,91 km one way. The maximum travel time of the route is about 80 minutes one way.
According to the vice-mayor, the municipality has anticipated the possible need for reimbursement of the costs of such a route.
The author is Jurgita Andriejauskaitė
