Narva's chief architect Peeter Tambu said the plan for a tram did not originate in city government offices but emerged from studies conducted before drafting the comprehensive plan.

The city's younger residents support the idea because they would prefer modern and fast public transportation over cars.

One of the biggest problems in the border city is the lack of bus service and high levels of car use. This is especially true in summer when thousands of people head approximately 15 kilometers north to Narva-Jõesuu, where many people have summer homes.

"During the summer, buses are packed full," Tambu told Tuesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera," adding that the connections are inconvenient because they often do not stop very close to people's properties.

"This means that the current way of reaching places like Kudruküla using public transport is much more expensive, more environmentally burdensome, and still very inconvenient for people," he said.

The new comprehensive plan suggests a tram line could be the solution.

"The majority of Narva's accommodations are in Narva-Jõesuu, and most of Narva-Jõesuu's public services are in Narva. For this reason, there is constant heavy traffic between the two towns. If we add in the summer season, when a large number of tourists arrive, this traffic multiplies," Tambu explained.

Narva-Jõesuu mayor Maksim Iljin is not against the idea, but prefers to focus on smaller projects. He said the tram line is too expensive for the resort town.

"If we look at our budget strategy and the current development plan, there is not a single point indicating we are about to build a new tram line between the towns. Instead, Narva-Jõesuu is investing in other projects currently underway. For example, the new school in Narva-Jõesuu or the restoration of the resort hall. Still, if Narva comes to us with this plan, we are always open to negotiations," Iljin said.

Tambu does not know how much the connection would cost and it would only become clear with analysis. Narva would be counting on support from the European Union.

"Funding for tram lines in the European Union has been gaining momentum with every new funding period. At least for now, Narva's population and size are comparable to many European cities that have built exactly this kind of single line to cover longer distances," the chief architect noted.

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