Jolanta Gulbinovič, Head of the Communications Department of the Vilnius District Municipality Administration, commented on the situation to the Žmonės.lt portal. We present the unedited response:
“We fully understand the sensitivity of the situation. We want to assure the Pievų Street community that their voice is heard: we are aware of the situation, and decisions to make this road safe and paved are already being implemented.
We are a rapidly growing district, especially suburban settlements. Naturally, the need for infrastructure grows faster than procedures or financial capabilities allow. Saldenė village and the entire Avižieniai eldership are rapidly expanding areas. As the settlement expands, construction is underway, and this road also leads to a quarry, so the heavy vehicle traffic has increased.
We understand residents’ desire for quick solutions, but we are a legal state and must follow established procedures.
The width of free state land between private plots is too narrow to fit a full-fledged street. We cannot simply enter private land and start work – we must follow the procedures set by legal acts. Currently, a special plan for the development of transport communication engineering infrastructure is being prepared. The process is at the stage of forming general solutions. The contract for the plan preparation provides for about 6 months duration. Residents can monitor the entire process in the TPS “Vartai” system https://www.planuojustatau.lt/ (TPD No. S-VT-41-24-243). After that, land acquisition for public needs will follow. Only after completing the land acquisition process for public needs can infrastructure be designed and installed.
Understanding that this process takes time and decisions are needed here and now – operational measures are applied, e.g., dust reduction measures according to the approved municipality standard. Symbolically, but precisely today (June 3), the Avižieniai eldership had planned grading and watering of this street with a special dust-reducing solution (by the time of this response, the work had already been done). The local community was informed about these works in advance. The eldership, considering funding, periodically ordered and will continue to order these services.
Dustiness on the road directly depends on vehicle speed. Since heavy vehicles and cars often drive too fast (due to which the municipality received residents’ letters), the Municipality working group approved the installation of a speed limit sign of 30 km/h (No. 329) on Pievų Street. Avižieniai eldership has ordered the production and installation of the sign, so the speed-limiting sign will appear on the street soon.
Also, a Municipality commission will be convened soon regarding the restriction of heavy vehicle traffic on this street.
We want to note that the municipality does not have legal authority to punish traffic rules (KET) violators or control truck weight. Therefore, we strongly encourage residents themselves, upon recording obvious violations or maliciously speeding drivers, to document them and report to the Lithuanian police. The municipality is ready to cooperate with officers and initiate targeted police raids on this section.
We hope for residents’ understanding – processes take time, but all steps to make Pievų Street safe and paved have already begun.”
Shared images
A well-known woman living in Vilnius district shared images illustrating a long-standing problem of local residents. According to her, it poses a danger even to students and mothers with strollers, and the municipality does not respond to complaints.
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G. Kondavė spoke about the pressing problem on the social network “Instagram.”
“Today I come out with such an interesting story. It is very sad that I have to talk about it via Instagram. In general, it is sad that I had to use my Instagram to solve such problems. Especially for me, as a woman, to solve such problems. But no matter how sad it is, only publicity helps in such situations. Only by tagging the municipality and eldership do they take some actions,” said the opinion leader.
She told more about what worries her. It turns out the problem arose because of the road next to her house.
“We are talking about Saldenė, Pievų Street. One of the busiest transit roads, on which about 100 cars drive every morning, afternoon, and evening. It might seem like a simple gravel road, but it is fully inhabited – houses stand all along it. If you think no one writes complaints – you are wrong. Everyone writes complaints because imagine, people and their children breathe such massive dust while sitting on terraces. Children return home from the bus precisely through this dust,” shared G. Kondakovė.
According to the well-known woman, although there are promises to fix the road, those plans are not being implemented at all.
“Basically, this is a circus – a constant plan and project for the road are being prepared, but it cannot be implemented because some parts of the road belong to private individuals. And those private individuals say: ‘Take this road and make us a proper asphalt.’ But that cannot be done because there is a law – it does not allow this to be implemented, it must be resolved through the court. I really fear making a mistake because I do not understand all the details, so I do not want to delve deeper. The point for me is that every child walking there and every newborn lying on the terrace breathes this dirt.
Imagine – children play in the yard. Every summer day they inhale such dust. You might say – dust is dust. No. Tire residues, some minerals, chemicals remain on the road and sand, and all this settles in their lungs. This is not about me being uncomfortable living like this – this is a real health problem for people,” said the opinion leader.
She said that the Public Health Center was contacted, but their response does not solve the problem.
“They respond like this: ‘Contact your eldership.’ And the eldership replies: ‘There are no funds, we have no transport, we do not have enough equipment to solve such a problem.’ Finally, a plan for asphalt is being prepared. How many years? My Konoras has already grown up, a new generation of babies is growing up with this dust.
I understand that there are laws why this road cannot be built earlier, but it has been delayed endlessly for many years. If the law is like this, contact somewhere, change it, because this is a pressing problem. This is not about ‘I want,’ this is specifically about health. You might say – okay, go with your child to Vingis Park, but how to get there if, for example, I do not have a car? You have to walk to Tarandė – 1.5 kilometers to the stop, or to Antežeriai stop – also about 1.5 kilometers. We actually live about 1.5 kilometers from the Vilnius sign. So you have to walk the same road. All this dust settles on terraces and in people’s lungs. The situation is so sad that I have no words,” said G. Kondakovė.
Žmonės.lt contacted the Vilnius District Municipality regarding the situation. As soon as we receive a comment, we will update the article.
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