Published: 13.04.2021.

Public participation is the involvement of citizens, society and non-governmental organisations in the policy-making process. The purpose of public participation is to ensure that decisions taken by public administration are in line with the needs of the public, are timely explained and understandable to those to which they will apply.

 

Representatives of the public may express their views on development planning documents, draft legislation at the initial stage of their development, by proposing a new framework, by participating in identifying problems and identifying alternatives, and at the other stages, by engaging in monitoring the functioning of regulation, evaluating results and drawing up proposals for updating it. Any representative of the public concerned or interested in the matter to be addressed may give own opinion. Each representative of the company shall be entitled to feedback on his proposal.

The procedures for public participation shall be governed by the following legislation:

The State Railway Administration shall be open to cooperation with representatives of the railway sector, recipients of railway services, citizens and non-governmental organisations who submit their proposals, proposals or information.

The State Railway Administration shall participate in the following activities:

In order to perform the functions specified in the Railway Law and to identify the situation in the railway sector, the State Railway Administration has established an Advisory Board of Railway Carriers, which shall be composed of representatives of all railway carriers, public authorities of the sector and professional associations. The Advisory Board shall be convened every one or two months to discuss and address the most pressing challenges of the sector.

 

The State Railway Administration shall, in accordance with the Article 31 of the Railway Law, regularly and at least every two years, consult with railway freight carriers and representatives of the users of these transport services (transit industry associations, freight terminals, expats, customs warehouses, domestic shippers, etc.) in order to take their views into account and to hear their proposals on the railway market and its improvement.

 

In accordance with the requirements of the Article 31 of the Railway Law, the State Railway Administration shall regularly and at least every two years carry out a survey of Latvian residents in order to determine the satisfaction of the users of railway passenger services with the quality of the services provided by the railway, as well as with the services available at railway stations and during the journey on the train. The last survey of this kind has been conducted over the weekend of 2018.

 

The State Railway Administration in accordance with the Article 7.1 and Article 31 of the Railway Law and 29.04.2014 Regulations No. 217 of the Cabinet of Ministers shall participate in the work of the Advisory Council of the railways of the Historical Heritage, which shall also include the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Culture, State Railway Technical Inspectorate, State Inspection for Heritage Protection, State Inspection for Heritage Protection, Gulbene Municipality Council, Aluksne Municipality, Historic Heritage representatives of stakeholders and associations and foundations involved in the management of railway facilities. . The State Railway Administration shall, jointly with the Council, take decisions regarding the allocation of financial resources intended for the historic heritage railway and the approval of the accounts for the utilisation of financing and control the utilisation of such financial resources for the intended purpose.

The Priority Rail Advisory Board shall be set up and operate to maintain the railway of historical heritage and to promote its use in conformity with functions, as well as cooperation between state and local government authorities, owners of railway installations of historical heritage (possessors) and non-governmental organisations in the implementation of best musical railway practices.

Currently in Latvia, the historic heritage railway is the railway tracks, engineering structures, equipment, buildings, rolling stock of the narrow-track railway line Gulbene-Aluksne. Historical heritage railways also include railway land compartment belts a. Railway installations of historical heritage shall be managed by their owners (possessors).