Capital cities public transport The system has taken a new step – the Iceland stop has become the first night public transport “mini-station” in the capital. Here, all night bus routes meet at the same time, allowing passengers to conveniently transfer to another route and continue their journey without additional waiting.
Currently, there are 9 night bus routes operating in Vilnius, connecting the city center with various districts. Night buses run on Friday and Saturday nights, every 30 minutes, until 4 a.m. - ensuring a comfortable and safe return home after events, late work shifts or trips.
"This is the first time in Vilnius' history that night routes have been organized on the "meeting" principle - all buses arrive at the same hub at the same time and allow for seamless transfers - without waiting longer than 9 minutes. This type of meeting hub is already successfully operating in Bratislava, Warsaw and Prague. The Iceland stop is becoming Vilnius' answer to the best European night transport practices," says Arnas Misiūnas, Head of Public Transport Organization at JUDU.
It is also important to mention that late arriving travelers from Vilnius airport can reach the Iceland stop in the city center by bus route N8 and transfer to another night route without any hassle. This has created the opportunity to reach different city districts by public transport at night not only for Vilnius residents, but also for city guests.
Why are the stop names being updated?
The names of the Centro poliklinikai, Jogailas and Islandijas stops have been updated – all three have been given new names based on the nearby, well-known Islandijas street, which is an important center of attraction at night. The Jogailas stop is divided into two – you will recognize them separately as Islandijas st. (A) and Islandijas st. (B). The Islandijas stop has become Islandijas st. (C), and the Centro poliklinikai stop has changed its name to Islandijas st. (D).
The stop markings have been supplemented with the letters A, B, C, D for easier orientation - this is a common practice in many Western European cities, such as London, Paris or Barcelona. The number system is widely used in Warsaw and Helsinki.
"The same name and additional letters make it clear that several stops belong to the same node and are close to the main attraction. For example, if a passenger who is less familiar with the system is told "get off at the Centro Poliklinika stop, cross the street and get on at the Jogaila stop", they may get the impression that this is not a single node, and that when transferring, they have to walk a long way, which also reduces the attractiveness of the transfer - such a passenger does not know the actual layout of the stops," explains the JUDU expert.
Due to the emergence of night bus routes, an additional, fourth Iceland stop was installed on Jogailos Street. It helps ensure better flow distribution and clearer separation of routes – as many as four night buses stop here at the same time, so the additional stop allows passengers to find the necessary route faster and more conveniently.
