Before the stricter quarantine comes into effect on Wednesday, which limits the mobility of the country's residents both inside and outside the municipality where they live, representatives of passenger transport companies say that changes in passenger transport routes are currently being considered.
Rūta Atroškaitė Eltai, the representative of the communication department of Lietuvos Geležinkėlių, said that "it is likely that there will be changes in the routes this week".
"We will try to monitor passenger flows and maneuver to ensure the necessary journeys, however taking into account the fact that it is very likely that passenger flows will fall quite significantly. Looking at the statistical data of the spring quarantine, we can see that during such a strict quarantine, flows dropped by more than 80 percent. (…) It is likely that a similar scenario will await us now," said R. Atroškaitė.
"This week, we will try to model the golden mean to leave people the opportunity to go to work and medical facilities, but we will still need to streamline operations and make changes," she added.
According to R. Atroškaitė, "Lithuanian railways"still waiting for instructions from the Government on how it will be intended to ensure that only those residents who are allowed to do so according to the conditions of the newly introduced quarantine leave the residential municipality.
"For now, there is talk of restricting entry into cities, as was the case during Easter. During Easter, checks were carried out when entering cities with cars. For now, we do not have information about intercity trains and buses, they will still be decided," she said.
Meanwhile, the marketing manager of the "Kautras" passenger transport company, Justinas Vadluga, told Eltai that the company is also going to decide in the near future whether, in response to mobility restrictions, the tightening of quarantine conditions in the country will reduce and change intercity bus routes.
Premieres Ingrid Šimonytė led by the Cabinet of Ministers on Sunday extended the quarantine until January 31, ELTA reminds.
From December 15 at midnight until January 24 at midnight the departure of persons outside the territory of the municipality of their place of residence is restricted, except in cases where it is due to the death of close relatives or to perform work, when the workplace is in another municipality or for necessary medical assistance.
Close contacts of more than one family or household are prohibited. It is also prohibited to move within or outside the territory of the municipality of residence for non-essential reasons. It is forbidden to leave the place of residence, except when going to work, a place of sale, a funeral.
Monika Grigutytė (ELTA)
