Saldus Municipality Council determines the procedure for student transportation and the coverage of transport expenses

Saldus Municipality Council published binding regulations No. 20 “On the Organization of Student Transportation and the Procedure for Covering Transport Expenses for Learners in Saldus Municipality” in the official publication “Latvijas Vēstnesis” (No. 187, OP 2026/187) on September 29, 2026. The notice is included in the MUNICIPALITIES section of the issue as the 10th item. With these regulations, the municipality determines how learners reach educational institutions and the procedure for covering travel-related expenses.

Binding regulations are a local normative act issued by the municipal council, which becomes binding after publication in the official publication. Saldus Municipality Council published them in the same issue as two other of its decisions: amendments to the Binding Regulations No. 14 of April 27, 2023 “Saldus Municipality Statutes” (Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 19) and amendments to the Binding Regulations No. 1 of January 29, 2026 “On the Saldus Municipality Budget for 2026” (Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 21).

What the New Regulation Provides

The title of the regulations indicates two interrelated subjects of regulation: the organization of student transportation and the procedure for covering transport expenses for learners in Saldus Municipality. The first issue concerns how the transport of learners from their place of residence to the educational institution and back is ensured, and the second concerns the procedure for covering the associated travel expenses.

Both issues directly affect families in the municipality with school-age children, as the rules for organizing transportation and covering expenses determine both the children’s daily commute to school and the parents’ actual travel expenses. The full text of the regulations with specific conditions is published in the mentioned issue of the official publication.

Context of the Saldus Municipality Council Regulation

The student transportation regulations are part of a broader set of binding regulations adopted by the Saldus Municipality Council in 2026. The municipal acts published in the official publication this year cover several areas:

• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 20 – organization of student transportation and coverage of transport expenses (September 29, 2026, No. 187).
• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 19 – amendments to the municipality statutes (September 29, 2026, No. 187).
• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 21 – amendments to the municipality 2026 budget (September 29, 2026, No. 187).
• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 12 – amendments to Binding Regulations No. 40 of December 21, 2023 “On Social Services in Saldus Municipality” (September 15, 2026, No. 177).
• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 13 – amendment to Binding Regulations No. 6 of February 27, 2025 on residential care services for minors with disabilities (August 18, 2026, No. 157).
• Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 16 – amendment to the “Stirpas” detailed plan, and No. 17 – amendments to the budget regulations (September 1, 2026, No. 167).

Similar Practice in Other Municipalities

The regulation of student and learner transportation is a constant part of municipal regulatory activity. In the same official publication on September 23, 2026 (No. 183), the Ogre Municipality Council published Binding Regulations No. 16/2026 “On Travel Fare Concessions, Expense Compensation, and Transportation Procedures for Learners in Ogre Municipality”.

On September 11, 2026 (No. 175), the Jelgava Municipality Council published amendments to Binding Regulations No. 18 of August 28, 2024 “On Travel Fare Concessions and the Procedure for Covering Transport Expenses for Learners in Jelgava Municipality” (Jelgava Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 12). In both cases, the regulation covers travel fare concessions, expense compensation, and the transportation procedure itself.

Why This Is Important

Student transportation regulations are one of those municipal decisions whose impact residents feel daily – it determines how far a child must travel to school, how this journey is provided, and what portion of the expenses is covered by the municipality. Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 20 were published on September 29, 2026, and are available in the official publication “Latvijas Vēstnesis” issue No. 187, where they are listed as the 10th item in the MUNICIPALITIES section.

Official source: “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, September 29, 2026, No. 187 (OP 2026/187), section MUNICIPALITIES, 10th item – Saldus Municipality Council Binding Regulations No. 20 “On the Organization of Student Transportation and the Procedure for Covering Transport Expenses for Learners in Saldus Municipality” (document vestnesis-2026-09-29-187.full.md).