Vilnius public transport drivers' strike is planned from 5 December: what you need to know?

Important for passengers

A strike by drivers of  the company Vilniaus viešasis transportas(VVT) is planned from 5 December. This means that all routes served by VVT will be open, but they will be less frequent. VVT currently operates 76 out of 105 routes: 5 express, 17 trolleybuses and 54 buses.

In Vilnius, 3 carriers – Transrevis UAB, Kautra UAB and Vilniaus viešasis transportas UAB – provide public passenger transport services. It is expected that during the strike up to 35% fewer vehicles than usual may be put on the city streets. As there will be fewer buses and trolleybuses running in the city during the strike days, there will be more people on board, and it is estimated that the vehicles could be overcrowded at peak times.

Public transport journeys will be disrupted during the strike. We understand that the situation in the city will be difficult, so we apologise to all residents for the inconvenience and we are making every effort to ensure that we can resume normal travel soon.

As only drivers of one of the carriers are on strike, the timetables of the other two public transport carriers in the city, Transrevis and Kautra, will remain unchanged and passengers will be transported on a normal schedule. You can check the carrier for a particular route here: https://judu.lt/vezejai/.

Please plan your journeys well in advance from 5 December and check public transport timetables before travelling. They can be found at www.stops.lt, on „m.Ticket“, and you can track vehicles in real time on Google Maps and „Trafi“ apps.

Also, with higher traffic volumes predicted in the city, not only passengers but also car drivers will be inconvenienced, so you should plan your journeys with time to spare and follow traffic flows on Google Maps and Waze. It is recommended to choose remote working where possible and to avoid travelling at peak times.

To minimise the impact of urban transport disruption on daily plans, we recommend:

– Plan your city trips with time to spare;

– Have a plan B ( remote working if possible; reach the final destination on foot or by other means of transport);

– For short journeys (up to 1 km), it is recommended that residents walk. A 1 km walk takes up to 15 minutes.

– If you choose to travel by public transport, you can check the arrival of buses and trolleybuses on Google Maps and „Trafi“ apps, which allow you to track the movement of vehicles in real time.

Why is there a strike?

The VVT has been negotiating a new collective agreement with one of the five trade unions for over a year. The last negotiations on a new collective agreement broke down in November when no consensus could be found on the proposed pay rises and new pay system. 

This year, there have already been two wage increases. From 1 November, all receive at least 10% and drivers an average of 20% more. This is higher than the strike demand from the union.

The VVT expects a constructive social dialogue with the partners. The company is making every effort to end the strike as soon as possible and to minimize inconvenience for the citizens of the city, and therefore asks for patience and understanding from passengers during the strike.

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