The Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda has spent a lot on a feasibility study into the development of public transport. The 461 000-euro study found that tram or a subway transit network would not be a substantiated choice of Lithuania’s third largest city, LRT reports.

Lithuania’s third biggest city on the Baltic coast commissioned the study to analyse its transport flows and propose guidelines for developing its public transit. The study that cost 461,000 euros raised some eyebrows, as the recommendations seemed self-evident.

«Building tram lines in Klaipėda would cost about 200 million euros, while fast buses would cost some 100 million,» according to Gintaras Neniškis, the head of administration at Klaipėda Municipality.

Neniškis claimed he inherited the study from the previous city council and did not believe it was necessary.

«Public transport specialists who know the city of Klaipėda well would have given the same recommendation in much simpler terms,» Neniškis said.

Although the study was funded by the European Investment Bank, the city has committed to invest ten times more into green public transit, otherwise it would have to repay the grant.

The article originally appeared on LRT English: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1142400/lithuanian-town-spends-eur461-000-to-be-told-it-doesn-t-need-trams