While approximately 400 county line buses departed from the railway station every day as recently as Thursday, starting Friday the number has been reduced by almost 50 percent. Routes heading west and southwest now begin near the Viru Center.

Andrus Nilisk, head of the North Estonia Public Transport Center, said the changes are being monitored to help fit passengers' needs.

"It's true that there isn't much space at the Viru stop. Previously, departures were spread out over about three stops, but Viru has just one, and we'll need to assess the situation. We're not saying these changes are final. For now, we need to get a sense of how people adjust, how they adapt to it, and what impact it actually has on the city," Nilisk said.

Passengers are not happy with the change.

"This is madness," Vambola, who was sitting at the bus stop, told "Aktuaalne kaamera". "And there's nowhere to wait. It is not just us either. There's Hansabuss, GoBus – if they all come at the same time, where are they supposed to stand?"

Tallinn Deputy Mayor for Transport Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said the city decided not to extend the public transport center's parking contract at the station, which ends in October.

The bus parking zone will become a sports area for students from Kesklinn's schools.

"We also have to consider where most of the passengers arriving in Tallinn actually want to go. That's roughly around the Viru keskus area. So it does not make sense anymore to run buses around the Old Town and then back to a holding area if that holding area is no longer at Balti Station," Järvan said.

The councilor does not consider it very likely that the Viru stop will become excessively overloaded with traffic. He noted that Balti Station will always remain a transport hub, but its importance will evolve over time.

In the future, he sees Kristiine and Ülemiste as key transit centers.

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