No. 9, 2014
CENTRE PLUS NEWS Transport and Communication Services (public transport companies)
Transport
and communication services in Lithuania are developed and coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania. It is responsible for airports, railway, bus transport, ferries and post services. Lithuania has four international airports: • Vilnius airport, which maintains the majority of passenger flights: www.vilnius-airport.lt • Kaunas airport in Karmėlava, which maintains the majority of cargo flights and some passenger flights: www.kaunas-airport.lt • Zuokniai airport in Šiauliai, currently serving only civilian and NATO cargo and military planes: www.siauliai-airport.com • Palanga airport is the third airport in Lithuania by the number of passengers: www.palanga-airport.lt In Lithuania operate such airlines as Ryanair, airBaltic, Wizzair, Air Lituanica, Small Planet Airlines, Finnair, LOT - Polskie Linie, Scandinavian Airlines, Estonian Air, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and others.
It is possible to travel not only by buses, but also by trains in Lithuania. The railway system is owned by “Lietuvos Geležinkeliai”. Recently the number of passenger transportation routes greatly reduced – there is no longer the possibility to go by train to many cities, towns and villages, where trains had run not long before. There are international routes from Lithuania to Moscow, Minsk, Mogiliov, Warsaw and St. Petersburg, also trains run through Lithuania from Konigsberg to some Russian and Ukrainian cities. Currently, the most convenient connections are Vilnius-Kaunas, Vilnius-Turmantas, Vilnius-Marcinkonys, Šiauliai-Radviliškis, Vilnius-Trakai, where the trains run several times a day.
Among the major routes could be also mentioned the routes Šiauliai-Rokiškis and Vilnius-Stasylos. Also there is a high speed train Vilnius-Klaipėda. More information about JSC “Lietuvos Geležinkeliai”, train routes can be found on a website http://www.litrail.lt/ . Lithuania has a well-developed intercity bus system. Currently Vilnius Bus Station is the largest and most modern not only in Lithuania, but also in the Baltic countries. For your convenience, the bus station has a modern passenger information system, long-distance and international ticket office, baggage and parcel terminal, a spacious waiting room, mobile internet, ATM`s, coffee machines,
Centre PLUS News No.9, 2014
snack bars and coffee shops, taxi stands and the shopping center. At the International Ticket Agency which is located in the Station you can buy not only bus tickets, but also ferry, flight or train tickets and book hotel rooms in many European cities or take out an insurance. A Tourist Agency located in the Bus Station will offer you a holiday resort or sightseeing trips. More information can be found on a website http://www.autobusustotis.lt/ . In terms of public transport in Vilnius, it is important to mention the recent reorganization of the public transport system. From now an electronic transport card “Vilniečio kortelė” is used in Vilnius. Hereinafter we will briefly present how it works: The electronic transport card “Vilniečio kortelė” shall be filled up with a desired amount of money and / or chosen public transport tickets. Having a valid ticket in the card, which was marked at a vehicle, you can change from one vehicle to another free and unlimited. Money on the card can be used for the 30 or 60 minute tickets at the capital’s public transport. If the card was filled up with electronic tickets, then after touching a punch with the card you would hear an acoustic signal and see on its screen the information about the ticket`s type and its duration. This means that the ticket was activated. First it will be scanned a fixed-date ticket, then 30 or 60 minute ticket. If the tickets have expired or you did not fill up the card with the tickets, then you can use money from the card.
At the same time you can have in your card up to 50 of one sort 30 or 60 minute tickets, 1 activated and 1 inactive a fixed-date ticket and up to 200 LT electronic money. Another the important mean of transport in Lithuania are ferries. Port of Klaipeda is a major transport hub and Lithuania`s gate to the world. DFDS Seaways operates in Klaipeda. This is one of the largest international ferry lines and mini cruise companies in Europe offering passenger and cargo ferries at the Baltic Sea: Klaipeda - Kiel (Germany), Klaipeda - Karlshamn (Sweden), Paldiski (Estonia) - Kapellskar (Sweden); ferry trips at the North Sea: Copenhagen (Denmark) - Oslo (Norway), Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Newcastle (England), Esbjerg (Denmark) - Harwich (England), and passenger and cargo
ferries at English Channel: Dunkirk (France) - Dover (England), Dover (England) - Calais (France). Ferry schedules, fares, and other relevant information can be found on a website http://www.dfdsseaways.lt . Lithuania has a well developed postal system. The Lithuanian post office afford services to inhabitants, businesses, institutions and organizations by providing mail, courier and financial services, such as tax payments, consumer credit, money orders and other services – more than 100 different names. It also provides different international postal services. More information can be found on a website http://www.post.lt/. Well, now it remains only to decide in which direction to travel. Have a good journey!
Centre PLUS News No.9, 2014
Experiences of third-country nationals: the use of transport and communication services
In
today’s world no one can imagine his life without a vehicle. However, not everyone has a car, so he often has to use the public transport. In this article the third-country nationals (hereafter - TCNs) shared their opinion and experience about the Lithuanian transport system. Pakistani citizen L. M. who came to Lithuania to study in 2010, said that he was very satisfied with the public transport system: “I like that buses and trolleybuses arrive according to schedule and usually it does not take long to wait. There are schedules at stops that help to plan your time. In addition, almost all towns and villages can be reached by bus, and students are eligible for significant discounts. I think it is very useful and attractive!” The guy admitted that only once he had a problem, when he could not talk to the bus driver. “I remember that day I had left my student card at home. Although I had an international certificate of ISIC with me, the driver did not apply the discount. I think he just did not understand me, because he did not speak English. In all other cases I was understood,” - sincerely shared Pakistani. The Social work student was pleased that the transport infrastructure had been relatively well developed in Lithuania, but he suggested that some old trolleybuses could be updated and the drivers could speak English. “Then it would be easier to me to live here,” – merrily completed L. M.
Other TCNs, who agreed to share her experience was Belarusian student S. K. living and studying in Lithuania since 2008. Currently she is successfully working and relates her future with Lithuania. “First of all, I think that there are efforts to look for the best and most optimal solutions in transport system. Maybe this is not always successful, but I like that they are seeking for changes and innovations acceptable to the residents,” – started her story the girl. The only thing that she did not like was controllers, who, according to S. K., often behaved improperly and did not obey the elementary etiquette: “When they come to you to check your e-card, you always have a feeling that you’ve done something wrong, you feel mistrusted, though in fact, everything is good. But I usually feel like that and it is uncomfortable.” Despite this unpleasant experience, S. K. enthusiastically told about the best practices and ideas: “I was impressed, when I heard the classical music playing in a bus.
It was a very nice idea, at the same time educational and relaxing. Also I like that there are high-speed buses! If I have a choice – to take a bus or trolleybus, usually I prefer the bus because it is more comfortable. Conditioning during the summer runs very well and I freshen up in the bus,” - shared the Belarusian student. At the end of the interview she expressed a very specific proposal: “I think that before the introduction of any innovation in public transport it would be useful to carry out a public opinion survey and to find what the citizens expect themselves. Maybe it will appear that some things are not worth to change, e.g. to cancel minibuses. For many this caused frustration. Maybe the surveys would help the government to adopt completely different decisions?!” - rhetorically have finished the girl. A controller working in Vilnius public transport enjoys her work, although admits that it is not easy:
Centre PLUS News No.9, 2014
“I have noticed that people do not like us. At the beginning I was sad because of that, but now more often I meet people who smile and wish me a good day. In particular, such behaviour is typical to foreigners. So far as I have met the Africans, they always smiled to me and even I have heard kind words from them. Although I do not speak English, but a few phrases I know are enough to understand. During my work I have never met Africans who disagreed to pay a fine. They knew that they stretched rules and had to pay. I feel a great respect for them. At the beginning I was uncomfortable, when I was prescribing them a fine, but they were politely saying me “thank you and goodbye”. I was feeling inadequate. But eventually I realized that it’s probably acceptable to their culture, and I love it. I think we, Lithuanians, should learn from them.” However, the controller has opposite experience with other TCNs. “I’ve noticed that the communication with Belarusians is
completely opposite from Africans. It requires more perseverance and patience, because they do not always are willing to pay a fine and to admit that they were guilt. I do not want to argue with them, so I try to use all my diplomatic skills. On occasion they flatly refused,
and at other times it simply took longer to get an agreement,” - remembered the controller. The described experiences lead to the conclusion that TCNs think about the public transport system quite well and willingly accept introduced innovations.
The newspaper is published, implementing the project “Consultation and information centre PLUS” according the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals, annual Programme 2012
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