Long-distance passenger transport company ("Toks") from April 1. resumes its intercity flights in all directions. For now, most departures will be organized once or twice a day. According to the company's representatives, only 50% of the passengers have returned to the intercity buses so far. passengers, so additional flights will be resumed only after the pandemic situation in the country improves.
Starting from April, daily flights from Vilnius to Skuoda, Joniškis, Lazdijus, Birži and Tauragė are renewed. All these routes have many intermediate stops in smaller towns.
In March, the company started operating flights from Vilnius to Kybarti, Klaipėda, Nauja Akmene, Birži, Mažeiki, Šaki, Rokiški, Tauragė, Šilalė and Palanga.
"We started renewing flights at the beginning of March, when it seemed that the pandemic situation in the country was improving. Initially, we resumed one-fifth of the flights. Unfortunately, due to the sudden worsening of the pandemic situation again, fewer passengers returned to the buses than we expected. The more popular directions are those where trains do not run - these are Panevėžys, Biržų and Rokiškis", Toks CEO Arūnas Indrašius was quoted as saying in the press release.
According to him, the situation is complicated not only by restrictions on movement between municipalities, but also by the fact that passengers can only be seated on every other seat - thus filling only half of the bus. Most of the passengers use buses to go to work, travel for work purposes or go to medical facilities.
From April, Toks buses will run in all directions, the company is renovating a total of 40%. of all your trips. Greater passenger activity is expected in the summer, when compatriots will plan trips to the seaside when the weather warms up.
"We prepare in advance for each season, so we will soon start pre-sales for the summer months. Traditionally, the flow of passengers to Palanga, Klaipėda and Nida will depend not only on the pandemic situation, but also on the weather at the seaside," says the head of "Toks".
According to legislation regulating passenger transport, companies must renew all routes within a month of the end of the quarantine.
Eleonora Budzinauskienė (ELTA)
