RIGA, Jan 18 (LETA) - In 2020, the number of bus and rail passengers traveling on regional routes decreased by 31 percent from 2019, according to information released by the Road Transport Administration. 

The transport authority said that 20.13 million people were carried on regional bus routes, down 32 percent on year, and 12.85 million people were carried on Latvia's railway lines, down 30 percent from 2019. 

The route network reduced by 6 percent last year. 

Compared to 2019, the smallest reduction in passenger numbers was recorded on local routes in the western Latvian province of Kurzeme while the steepest slump was recorded in Riga Region. The number of passengers in Kurzeme dropped 16 percent on year to 1.6 million people and in Riga Region the number of passengers fell 32 percent on year to six million.

In the eastern Latvian province of Latgale passenger numbers fell 27 percent to 1.6 million people. In the northeastern province of Vidzeme and the central province of Zemgale passenger numbers decreased 31 percent to 1.7 million people and 1.8 million people respectively. 

In f 2020, the mileage covered by the passenger buses reduced by 6 percent to 73.7 million kilometers. The biggest reduction was recorded in April and May when the mileage shrank by 858,000 and 865,000 kilometers respectively as passenger numbers plummeted 70 percent on the coronavirus crisis.

In 2019, around 29,5 million passengers were carried on regional bus routes and 18.46 million passengers on Latvia's railway lines.