Estonia, Good for Business, Latvia, Port, Tourism, Transport

The route is to be serviced during the period of contract each year at least from June 1 to Aug. 31 at least three times per week. The detailed period, schedule and volumes will be established in the course of negotiations, it appears from the contract notice.

The operator is to service the route with the vessel or vessels designated in their bid.

The qualifying ship must accommodate at least 25 passenger cars or other vehicles up to 4.65 meters in length as well as at least one bus up to four meters in height.

The total duration of one trip inclusive of the time spent on embarking and disembarking of passengers and vehicles may not exceed 4.5 hours, or 270 minutes, under normal conditions.

The operator is required to service the route with a ship accommodating at least one hundred passengers and provide all of them with seats fitted with life-saving equipment.

Tenderers are to submit their bid by 11 a.m. on July 29. The contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder, and the operator may not benefit disproportionately from the service provision.

The number of passengers on the Montu-Ventspils route from 2005 to 2008 totaled 60,286, or slightly over 15,000 per year, and the total number of vehicles was around 14,000, or 3,500 per year.

Foreign tourists accounted for two thirds of the total number of passengers at the time and the price of a passenger ticket was 360 to 420 Estonian kroons, or 23 to 27 euros, depending on the season. The price of vehicle transport ranged from 28 to 38 euros.

Assistant rural municipality mayor of Saaremaa Marili Niits previously told the regional Saarte Haal that the size of the necessary support will be determined after the procurement has been carried out. Both the free port of Ventspils and the rural municipality government of Saaremaa are planning to shoulder the subsidy.