The goal of reorganizing Tallinn’s public transport network was to improve connections between different city districts, workplaces, and educational institutions while significantly reducing travel times. However, this reform has drastically reduced access to Ülemiste City. The most problematic change was the discontinuation of Bus Line No. 64, which removed an essential and fast connection for many people traveling from Väike-Õismäe and Mustamäe. 

Ülemiste City is home to 17,000 people who live, work, or study here, many of whom rely on public transport to reach the area. The closure of the airport tram line alone harmed accessibility, driving many people back to using cars. Before the tram closure, 92% of the community was satisfied with Ülemiste City’s accessibility. Last year, satisfaction dropped by 14 percentage points, and 5% of the community switched back to cars. In light of the latest reform, we are certain that customer satisfaction will decline further and the number of car users will rise. 

The transport network reform that came into effect in October 2024 affected several important connections, making the journey to Ülemiste City significantly longer and less convenient. 

Within the first week after the reform, nearly 100 companies operating in the area reached out to the Ülemiste City developer, stressing the urgency of restoring the critical bus connection for the over 2,000 daily commuters from the Väike-Õismäe and Mustamäe direction. 

Although rerouting Bus Line No. 13 through Ülemiste City provides a connection from Väike-Õismäe and Mustamäe throughout the day and on weekends, its travel time is over 10 minutes longer and includes more stops (18 vs. 13) than Bus Line No. 64. Initially, it was promised that Bus No. 13 would take only 4 minutes longer than the discontinued Line No. 64, but this has proven untrue. According to the current schedule, Bus No. 13 takes 47 minutes to travel from Väike-Õismäe to Lõõtsa during the morning rush hour, compared to 36 minutes on Bus No. 64. 

Morning commute time is a critical factor influencing whether people stick to public transport or switch to cars. The removal of express routes between major districts has had negative outcomes in various European cities in recent years. We should not repeat these mistakes. 

While several meetings were held with Tallinn’s Transport Department and the Deputy Mayor during the reorganization process to present our views, and written proposals were quickly submitted upon receiving the final stop layouts for the new routes, these suggestions were not considered. 

As a next step, we propose gathering the necessary number of signatures to reinstate Bus Line No. 64 on the Ülemiste City to Väike-Õismäe route. 

Add your signature to the petition at Rahvaalgatus.ee: HERE.