Andres Ruubas, head of the public transport department at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, told ERR the trend has been visible for several years.

"The most recent confirmed data are for 2024, and they show that 59.1 percent of commuters now travel to work by car. Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was 57.1 percent. At the same time, the share of sustainable modes of transport has dropped from 36.9 percent to 35.1 percent, and the share of public transport stands at 18.3 percent," he said.

"The main reason is still that the route network does not cover the necessary destinations, the timetables don't fit people's schedules, or the stops are in inconvenient locations," the official explained.

Ruubas said better connectivity, more frequent service, and smoother transfers are needed to boost passenger numbers. Money is also an important factor.

"The state is currently able to keep up with the increasing cost of public transport due to rising input prices. But what cannot be covered is expanding route volumes. That is a permanent cost that would remain in the budget for years," he said.

Unless the service improves, people will not give up their cars, the official said.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!