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The electric bus and charging infrastructure purchase measure by local and regional governments has not been implemented effectively. Even at the planning stage, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (MSARD) envisaged a decentralized approach, significant restrictions on the use of buses and unclear quality criteria, which created risks of cost inefficiency.
Despite significant administrative investments and high acquisition costs, 14 local and regional governments purchased 19 electric buses for 8.4 million euros with significant restrictions on use, some of inadequate quality, and, moreover, they are not completely zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and thus do not achieve the goals set for the measure fully.
Recommendations of the State Audit Office of Latvia #PēcRevīzijas
Based on the audit findings, five recommendations have been made, three of them to the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, one to local and regional governments, and one to the Ministry of Transport. It is expected that, upon implementation of the recommendations:
- The level of centralization of vehicle procurement in local and regional governments shall increase;
- The possibilities of using electric buses purchased under the Measure shall be expanded by preventing their further downtime;
- The procedure for monitoring similar measures shall be improved;
- Internal control procedures in local and regional governments shall be improved to prevent the recurrence of similar irregularities and ensure fair competition and economical use of funding in their procurement;
- Quality requirements for school transportation implemented by local and regional governments and the vehicles used in them shall be determined (Ministry of Transport).
