Since mid-June, between 800 and 900 people have crossed the border each day at the Koidula border crossing point, while Luhamaa has handled around 600 daily crossings. Koidula also sees six or seven buses attempting to cross the border every day, and because the buses are full and inspections are thorough, travelers should allow extra time, according to Peter Maran, head of the Police and Border Guard Board's southeast border crossing points.

"When buses are crossing the border, lines form at the border crossing point. Pedestrians often have to wait while a bus is being inspected because the inspections are thorough and there are many passengers," Maran said. "Border crossings are also currently being affected by the reduced operating hours at the Narva border crossing point. As early as 3 a.m., we already see people from Narva waiting outside the gates at the Koidula border crossing point who want to get through border control as early as possible and reach Russia as quickly as possible."

With the increase in passenger numbers, bus companies have had to adjust their schedules to match the border crossing points' operating hours. As a result, the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture recently approved a new Riga-Luhamaa bus route.

"It was originally an overnight route, but because border crossings are not possible during the night, the operator had to modify the service. They split the route into segments, and since it is an intra-European Union service and the bus does not make any stops in Estonia, we had no reason not to approve it. We therefore gave our approval to the Latvian Road Transport Administration, which issues the route permit," explained Andres Ruubas, head of the ministry's Public Transport Department.

Since February, the Koidula and Luhamaa border crossing points in southeastern Estonia have been shut overnight, operating only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The government decided to extend the rule until August 31. 

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