LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

On Motor Roads

Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Tasks of the Law

(1) The task of this Law is to govern the use, management, protection, and development of motor roads.

(2) City streets shall be under the management of the relevant local government institutions, and the procedures for the maintenance and use thereof shall be determined by such institutions. The provisions of this Law shall not be applicable to streets, unless it has been specified otherwise in the text of this Law.

[10 October 1997; 21 October 2010]

Section 2. Motor Road

(1) A motor road is a complex engineering structure outside city boundaries to be used for the traffic of vehicles at a specific speed, for the loads and dimensions provided for in the standards.

(2) A motor road system shall include:

a subgrade, a carriageway, artificial structures (for example, bridges, overpasses, tunnels, scaffold bridges, culverts, drainage installations, retaining walls), road engineering structures (for example, bus stops and pavilions, acceleration lanes, vehicle parking places, parking lots, rest areas, snow fences, plantings, bicycle paths and footways, rood communication and lighting lines), and technical means of traffic organisation (for example, traffic signs, traffic lights, signal poles, protective barriers, vertical and horizontal markings).

(3) The motor road system shall also include the airspace and subterranean depths within the total land requirement insofar as it is necessary for the traffic of vehicles and the use and protection of road elements.

(4) A street is an engineering structure intended for the traffic of vehicles in the urban area.

(5) Motor roads outside city boundaries in populated areas may be named "street" but it shall not change the ownership and legal status of the motor road.

(6) A transit street is a city street owned by a local government which is the beginning or continuation of a State motor road where the transit traffic moves.

[1 October 1997; 18 December 2008; 5 December 2013]

Section 3. Classification of Motor Roads

(1) All motor roads of Latvia shall be classified by their significance:

- State motor roads;

- local government roads;

- merchant roads;

- house roads.

(1¹) Within the meaning of this Law, the term "merchant roads" shall mean roads owned by enterprises (business companies) as legal subjects, and also other legal persons governed by private law.

(2) A house road shall not connect other higher-level roads.

(3) The State motor roads shall be classified as follows:

1) the major motor roads which connect the State motor road network with the primary motor road network of other countries and connect the capital city with other State cities, or which are bypasses of State cities;

2) the regional motor roads which interconnect the administrative centres of municipalities or connect them with State cities or the capital city, or with the major or regional motor roads or interconnect State cities;

3) local motor roads which connect the administrative centres of municipalities with municipality towns, populated areas of municipalities where parish administrations are located, with villages, or with other State motor roads, or interconnect administrative centres of individual municipalities.

(4) [18 December 2008]

[1 October 1997; 10 May 2007; 18 December 2008; 5 March 2009; 17 December 2020]

Section 4. Ownership of Motor Roads

(1) State motor roads and their land, including territories of total land requirement, together will all the structures comprised in the system of such motor roads shall be the property of the Republic of Latvia which is transferred under the management of valsts sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību "Latvijas Valsts ceļi" [State limited liability company Latvian State Roads].

(1¹) In individual cases, by a decision of the Cabinet, the State motor roads and their land, including total land requirement, together with all the structures comprised in the system of such motor roads may be transferred under the management of local governments.

(2) Regulations regarding the maintenance and reconstruction of a road section which crosses hydrotechnical structures and is a part thereof shall be determined in accordance with a special agreement between the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia and the relevant department.

(3) Local government roads and merchant roads and their land, including total land requirement, and also house roads shall be the property of the relevant local governments, merchants, or natural persons.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 10 May 2007; 18 December 2008; 17 December 2020]

Section 5. Right to Use the Motor Roads

(1) Road users have the right to use all motor roads for the traffic of vehicles, unless a specific prohibition applies thereto, in conformity with the road traffic regulations and the Cabinet regulations regarding State protection of motor roads.

(2) It may be temporarily prohibited or restricted to use the motor roads due to unfavourable road or climatic conditions, and also in other cases when it becomes dangerous to drive along motor roads.

(3) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for prohibiting or restricting the traffic of vehicles on State motor roads and local government roads.

(4) An owner of a motor road shall decide on prohibiting or restricting the use of merchant roads and house roads or on removal of such prohibitions or restrictions upon coordinating it with the relevant local government.

(5) [6 November 2013]

(6) [1 October 1997]

(6¹) In order to carry out carriage along the motor roads and streets with vehicles or their components (with a cargo or passengers or without a cargo or passengers) the dimensions, actual mass, or axle load of which exceeds the acceptable values specified in laws and regulations (heavyweight or large dimension vehicles), it shall be required to obtain a permit for large dimension and heavyweight carriage, except for the cases referred to in Paragraph 6.² of this Section. The permit for large dimension and heavyweight carriage gives the right to move along the route indicated therein. The State limited liability company Latvian State Roads shall prepare and issue such permit.

(6²) The Cabinet shall determine the cases where it is not required to obtain such carriage permit when carrying out large dimension and heavyweight carriage.

(7) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for issuing the permit for large dimension and heavyweight carriage, and also the procedures for carrying out such carriage.

[1 October 1997; 10 May 2007; 18 December 2008; 8 October 2009; 6 November 2013; 17 December 2020]

Section 6. Motor Road User Fee

(1) The State motor roads and local government motor roads and streets shall be used free of charge, unless it is laid down otherwise in the law.

(2) If large dimension or heavyweight carriage is carried out along merchant roads or house roads, a fee may be charged for the use of such roads if so determined by the owner of the relevant road.

(3) A State duty shall be paid for the issuing of the permit for large dimension and heavyweight carriage (Section 5, Paragraph 6.¹ of this Law). The Cabinet shall determine the amount of the State duty, the payment procedures, and exemptions. The State duty shall be transferred into the State basic budget revenue.

(4) A fee may be charged for the use of such motor roads which have been built from private resources. In such cases the fee shall be determined by the owner of the motor road.

(4¹) A local government may provide for in its binding regulations that a fee may be collected for parking a vehicle on a local government motor road or street. The relevant motor road or street (section thereof) or a specific area which includes motor roads or streets (system thereof), a certain time during which the parking of a vehicle on a local government motor road or street is for a fee (for example, a certain time of the day, week), the amount of the fee, and the procedures for collecting it shall be indicated in these regulations.

(4²) A provider of the universal postal service may park vehicles for which the pass provided for in Section 45, Paragraph two of the Road Traffic Law has been issued on paid parking lots on a local government motor road or street free of charge for a time period not exceeding 30 minutes, conforming to the procedures for using the pass.

(5) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the interoperability of electronic road toll collecting systems.

(6) [18 December 2008]

(7) [18 December 2008]

(8) A motor road user charge shall be paid for the use of the major State motor roads with freight vehicles and elements thereof the laden mass of which exceeds 3500 kilograms and which are intended for or which are used for the carriage of goods by road in the cases and in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.

(9) The State limited liability company Latvian State Roads has, in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, the right to lease to a merchant the parking areas which are comprised in the system of the State motor roads and intended for safe parking of freight vehicles, providing for an obligation on the merchant to ensure security guard and other safety services therein the minimum extent of which shall be determined by the Cabinet. The merchant is entitled to charge a fee for the parking of freight vehicles in such parking areas.

[10 October 2002; 19 October 2006; 8 November 2007; 18 December 2008; 8 October 2009; 21 October 2010; 20 December 2010; 6 November 2013; 5 December 2013; 18 January 2018; 17 December 2020]

Section 6.¹ Servitude of Right of Way

(1) If a service road does not connect a plot of land which has been acquired by the owner as a result of restoration of property rights or land privatisation with a State or local government road, such owner has the servitude rights to use the roads on other plots of land for driving or to construct new roads.

(2) The servitude shall be established in accordance with the procedures laid down in The Civil Law. Any disputes related to the establishment of the servitude shall be examined by a court.

[1 October 1997]

Section 6.² Ancillary Rights of the Servitude of Right of Way

(1) The owner of a plot of land serving for the establishment of the servitude of right of way may not prevent a user of the servitude from using protection zones of the road for the installation of underground and surface communications in accordance with the procedures laid down in the law and other laws and regulations.

(2) If the owner of the plot of land serving for the establishment of the servitude of right of way fails to determine a protection zone of the road or fails to determine a sufficiently large protection zone of the road, the dispute shall be settled by a court.

(3) A user of the servitude shall cover any losses incurred by the owner of the plot of land serving for the establishment of the servitude of right of way as a result of exercising the ancillary rights of the servitude of right of way.

[1 October 1997]

Section 7. Institutions Implementing State Administration of Motor Roads and Their Competence

(1) The Ministry of Transport shall implement the State administration of motor roads.

(2) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the monitoring of maintenance of local government motor roads.

(3) The Ministry of Transport shall, according to a delegation contract, delegate to the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads the management of the State motor road network, the administration of financing of the State motor road network and the management and control of implementation of the work programmes related thereto, the organisation of procurements for State needs (including the performance of the daily maintenance works of State motor roads), the planning of daily maintenance works of State motor roads and control of the performance thereof, the management of programmes for the construction of State motor roads and construction supervision, the supervision of road traffic organisation, and also the monitoring of maintenance of local government motor roads.

(3¹) [17 December 2020]

(4) In order to ensure conformity with the requirements referred to in Article 30(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, and Article 57(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads has the right to enter into contracts for the transfer of the total land requirement of the State motor roads to local governments for use free of charge.

[10 November 2005; 10 May 2007; 6 November 2013; 27 April 2017; 17 December 2020 / The new wording of Paragraph three and amendment regarding the deletion of Paragraph 3.¹ shall come into force on 1 January 2021. See Paragraph 25 of Transitional Provisions]

Chapter II
STATE REGISTRATION, DEVELOPMENT PLANNING OF MOTOR ROADS. FINANCING OF CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF MOTOR ROADS

[1 October 1997]

Section 8. State Registration and Recording of Motor Roads

(1) The Cabinet shall determine lists of the State motor roads and sections of motor roads owned by local governments and included in the State motor road route.

(2) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the registration and recording of local government roads and streets.

[18 December 2008 / The new wording of Section shall come into force on 1 July 2009. See Transitional Provisions]

Section 9. Names, Numbering and Length-based Reference Points of Motor Roads

(1) The name of the populated area of the point of origin and point of destination of the road but, where necessary, also the names of the major populated areas of intermediate sections of the road must be indicated in the name of a motor road. The name of the populated area or geographical object of the point of destination only may also be indicated in the name of the motor road.

(2) State motor roads shall be assigned route indices.

(3) The length of a motor road route shall be determined from the point of origin to the point of destination thereof.

(4) The following shall be recognised as length-based reference points of a motor road route:

- for motor roads connecting populated areas - a building of a post office or, in the absence thereof, another building located in the centre of the populated area;

- for motor roads connecting other motor roads or joining them - intersection points of axes of the roads to be connected;

- for motor roads connecting geographical objects - boundaries of such objects.

Section 10. Information Regarding Motor Roads of the Republic of Latvia

The issuing of the official Latvian road maps and the use of the information related to motor roads for commercial purposes must be coordinated with the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia.

Section 11. Development Planning of Motor Roads

(1) The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia shall plan the development of motor roads in conformity with the economic, ecological and social development trends, State and local government interests, and on the basis of the principle of equal development of regions.

(2) Projects shall be developed and coordinated in accordance with the procedures laid down in construction regulations and construction standards.

[1 October 1997; 10 May 2007]

Section 12. Financing of Motor Roads

(1) The management, maintenance, designing, renovation, reconstruction, and construction of State motor roads is financed from the State funds. Private resources may also be used to finance the maintenance, designing, renovation, reconstruction, and construction of State motor roads.

(2) The management, maintenance, designing, renovation, reconstruction, and construction of local government roads and streets is financed from the local government funds and the State funds. Private resources may also be used to finance the maintenance, designing, renovation, reconstruction, and construction of local government streets and roads.

(3) The management, maintenance, designing, and renovation of State motor roads shall be financed from the funds allocated to the "State Motor Road Fund" programme in the State basic budget. The funds allocated to the "State Motor Road Fund" programme in the State basic budget shall also be utilised for an earmarked grant for the financing and development of local government roads and streets (hereinafter - the earmarked grant) and for the co-financing of the maintenance and restoration of transit streets of cities. The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the utilisation of the funds allocated to the "State Motor Road Fund" programme in the State basic budget and for the co-financing of transit streets of cities.

(4) The State budget financing for the programme "State Motor Road Fund" shall consist of the estimated State budget revenue from the vehicle operation tax, the motor road user charge and 80 per cent of the estimated State budget revenue from the excise duty on petroleum products, unless it has been laid down otherwise in the annual State budget law. Financing for the arrangement and restoration of State motor roads is allocated according to the National Motor Roads Programme. Upon planning the annual budget, the State budget expenditure for the programme "State Motor Road Fund" shall be reduced by the amount which is available to the road sector from the European Union funds in the relevant financial year. The financing allocated to the annual earmarked grant for local government motor roads and streets shall not be less than 25 per cent of the State budget financing allocated to the programme "State Motor Road Fund", excluding the estimated revenue from the motor road user charge.

(5) The reconstruction and construction of State motor roads and the designing necessary for it shall be financed from the State basic budget programmes.

(6) The Ministry of Transport and local governments shall record the funds utilised for the financing of State motor roads and roads and streets under supervision of local governments in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet.

(7) The earmarked grant shall be transferred to local governments. The Cabinet shall determine the amount of share of the earmarked grant and the procedures for the distribution thereof among local governments, the procedures for the utilisation of the earmarked grant, the procedures for controlling the legality and regularity of the utilisation of the earmarked grant, and the procedures by which local governments shall provide a report on the utilisation of the earmarked grant.

(8) [17 December 2020]

[30 October 2003; 10 November 2005; 20 October 2005; 10 May 2007; 15 December 2011; 6 November 2013; 17 December 2020]

Section 13. Motor Road Funds

[30 October 2003]

Section 13.¹ Value of Motor Roads

Value of State motor roads and local government roads shall be comprised of the funds invested in construction and the depreciation of these roads reflected in the accounting records. The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for establishing the value of State motor roads and local government roads.

[10 May 2007]

Chapter III
USE AND PROTECTION OF MOTOR ROADS

Section 14. Procedures for the Use of Motor Roads

The procedures for the use of motor roads shall be determined in this Law, the Road Traffic Law, and also the Cabinet regulations regarding State protection of motor roads, and the Road Traffic Regulations issued by the Cabinet.

[1 October 1997]

Section 15. Preservation of Motor Roads

(1) In order to ensure the preservation of motor roads, it is prohibited to:

- perform activities which may result in damage or destruction of road elements;

- litter, contaminate, or block a carriageway, shoulders, dividing strips of a road, road engineering structures, and total land requirement;

- organise sporting events and training, and also mass gatherings on motor roads without the authorisation of the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads or the road owner;

- organise car or mechanism tests on motor roads without the authorisation of the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads or the road owner;

- use motor roads for transportation of such vehicles and mechanisms and for carrying such cargoes which are prohibited in the Road Traffic Regulations and the Cabinet regulations regarding State protection of motor roads.

(2) Drivers and persons who have established such circumstances on roads or in road engineering structures which pose a threat to the transport safety or preservation of a road shall immediately report it to the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads, the local government, or traffic police institutions, and also take measures to warn other road traffic participants and, where possible, to eliminate the established circumstances.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 17 December 2020]

Section 16. Protection Zones of Motor Roads

(1) Protection zones along State motor roads and local government roads shall be determined, used, and maintained in accordance with the Protection Zone Law.

(2) Land of protection zone of motor roads shall remain at the disposal of land users and is used in accordance with provisions of the Protection Zone Law.

(3) [10 May 2007]

(4) The State limited liability company Latvian State Roads shall notify land users of the determination of protection zones of motor roads and their regime.

(5) Construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of motor roads must not deteriorate the hydrological regime in the protection zone of motor roads, and also not disturb the functioning of the land amelioration systems and structures adjacent to the road and crossing it.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 10 May 2007; 17 December 2020]

Section 17. Placement of Service Points along Motor Roads

[10 May 2007 / See Transitional Provisions]

Section 18. Placement of Communications in the Total Land Requirement

(1) It shall only be permitted to cross the motor roads with conduits, communication and power lines, pipes, railways and other communications, install them along roads in the territories of total land requirement thereof, install dams, deepen river beds at bridges and culverts, raise or lower an embankment for rail lines crossing the State motor roads with the authorisation of the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads, but local government roads or merchant roads - with the authorisation of the relevant owner in conformity with the requirements laid down in this Law.

(2) If the need arises to rebuild a road due to the abovementioned structures, these works shall be performed by constructors but, if they fail to perform them, this shall be done by the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads at the expense of the constructors.

(3) Placement, movement, or reconstruction of all types of communications in the total land requirement must not deteriorate the operating characteristics of the motor road, and also road elements and transport safety.

(4) Communications located in the total land requirement and not related to the use of roads shall be maintained in order and, in the case of road reconstruction or reconstruction, they shall be rebuilt by owners thereof at their own expense upon request of the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads.

(5) Upon building roads the initiator of the construction shall cover any expenditure related to the rebuilding of land amelioration systems.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 10 May 2007; 18 December 2008; 17 December 2020]

Section 19. Procedures for the Joining of Motor Roads

(1) In order to join to a motor road, a written authorisation of the owner of the motor road shall be necessary.

(2) Joining of a motor road to another motor road must not pose threat to the transport safety.

(3) Local government roads, merchant roads, and house roads shall be joined to State motor roads in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet.

(4) Joining of a motor road to another motor road without a written authorisation of the owner of the motor road shall constitute unauthorised construction. A legal or natural person who has joined a motor road to another motor road in an authorised manner must dismantle it at its own expense or compensate the owner of the motor road for the demolition costs.

[10 May 2007 / See Transitional Provisions]

Section 20. Placement of Trade, Public Catering and Other Service Facilities and Advertising Thereof along Motor Roads

[10 May 2007 / See Transitional Provisions]

Section 21. Performance of Work on Motor Roads

Legal persons and natural persons performing work on motor roads and in the total land requirement shall ensure conformity with the technology coordinated with the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads, performance of work within the set deadlines and of adequate quality, and transport safety, and also equip the places where work is performed with the necessary barriers and traffic signs.

[10 May 2007; 17 December 2020]

Section 22. Rights of the Owner of a Motor Road to Ensure Use and Protection of Motor Roads

In order to ensure the use and protection of a motor road, the owner of the motor road has the following rights:

1) to remove from roadway and the total land requirement any objects which have fallen from a cargo, timber, and also growing and fallen trees or bushes and other things which pose threat to transport safety or obstruct the maintenance of the motor road, and to request legal or natural persons to compensate for the losses related to the transportation and storage of such objects;

2) to invite the competent authorities or officials to stop a vehicle which damages or contaminates the motor road or exceeds the dimensions, weight, or axle load specified in laws and regulations, and also to request legal or natural persons to ensure that the abovementioned vehicle is placed outside the carriageway of the motor road;

3) in accordance with laws and regulations, to cease any unauthorised activity which is in contradiction with the procedures for using, preserving, and protecting motor roads laid down in this Law and other laws and regulations, and to request legal or natural persons to compensate for the losses related to the elimination of the consequences of the unauthorised activity;

4) to request, in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, legal or natural persons to compensate for the losses caused to the owner of the motor road.

[10 May 2007]

Section 23. Obligations of the State Limited Liability Company Latvian State Roads and the Road Owner

(1) In order to ensure transport safety, and also preservation of roads, the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads and the road owner have the obligation:

- to perform daily maintenance works of motor roads in a timely manner in order to ensure traffic of vehicles on roads in accordance with the requirements of the Road Traffic Regulations;

- to equip motor roads with technical control means in accordance with the national standards and instructions of the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads and to take any other measures in order to guarantee transport safety;

- to delimit and indicate points which are dangerous to traffic of vehicles by using traffic signs;

- to study and analyse causes of traffic accidents and to take the necessary technical and other measures to prevent them;

- to record annual mileage of road transport on State motor roads and local government roads outside populated areas in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet.

(2) In cases where a road is used for traffic on the basis of servitude, the obligation to maintain the road shall lie with the servitude user.

(3) [Paragraph shall come into force on 1 May 2022 and shall be included in the wording of the Law on 1 May 2022. See Paragraph 27 of Transitional Provisions]

[1 October 1997; 10 October 2002; 4 November 2004; 10 November 2005; 17 December 2020]

Section 23.¹ Classification of Safety of the Road Network in the Trans-European Road Network

[17 December 2020 / See Paragraph 30 of Transitional Provisions]

Section 23.² Obligations of the State Joint Stock Company Latvian Road Maintainer According to the State Administration Tasks Delegated Thereto

(1) The Ministry of Transport shall, according to a delegation contract, delegate to valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs" [State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer] the performance of daily maintenance works of State motor roads.

(2) [17 December 2020]

(3) The Cabinet shall determine the public services which are provided by the State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer, and the methodology for fixing prices thereof.

(4) For the purpose of ensuring the daily maintenance works for State motor roads the State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer shall organise a procurement of services and goods and assume obligations on its own behalf.

[6 November 2013; 17 December 2020 / The new wording of the title of the Section and the new wording of Paragraph one of the Section, amendment regarding the deletion of Paragraph two, and amendment to Paragraph four regarding the deletion of the word "complex" shall come into force on 1 January 2021. Paragraph one of Section shall be in force until 30 April 2022. See Paragraphs 25 and 26 of Transitional Provisions]

Section 24. Environmental Protection

(1) Special constructions shall be built in a protection zone of motor roads in order to ensure that the impact of vehicle exhaust gas, noises and other harmful factors on the environment corresponds to sanitary standards.

(2) [1 October 1997]

(3) Upon performing construction, reconstruction, and maintenance works in the total land requirement, environmental diversity and cultural and historical landscape shall be preserved as far as possible.

[27 January 1994; 1 October 1997; 18 January 2018]

Section 25. General Quality Requirements for the Construction of State and Local Government Motor Roads and Streets

The Cabinet shall determine general quality requirements for the construction of State and local government motor roads and streets.

[27 April 2017]

Section 25.¹ Minimum Safety Requirements for Tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network

The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the provision of road users with the minimum safety level in tunnels over 500 metres in the Trans-European Road Network.

[19 October 2006]

Section 26. Granting of Land for the Needs of Motor Roads

[1 October 1997]

Section 27. Total Land Requirement

[10 May 2007]

Section 27.¹ Total Land Requirement of State, Local Government and Merchant Motor Roads

(1) A total land requirement is determined for the construction, maintenance, and protection of State, local government and merchant motor roads.

(2) The minimum width of the total land requirement of State, local government and merchant motor roads from a motor road to each side of the axis shall be as follows:

1) 25 metres - for a motor road with two carriageways and a dividing strip of up to 10 metres;

2) 15.5 metres - for a motor road with one carriageway the width of roadway of which is from 12.5 to 20 metres;

3) 13.5 metres - for a motor road with one carriageway the width of roadway of which is from 10.5 to 12 metres;

4) 11 metres - for a motor road with one carriageway the width of roadway of which is from 8.5 to 10 metres;

5) 9.5 metres - for a motor road with one carriageway the width of roadway of which is up to 8 metres.

(3) If according to a construction project it is necessary to place structural parts of a motor road, the width of the total land requirement may be larger than the minimum width.

(4) A usage fee shall not be charged for the State or local government land under structures (buildings) which are located in the total land requirement of the State or local government roads.

[10 May 2007; 18 December 2008]

Section 28. Granting of Widespread Mine Deposits for the Construction, Reconstruction and Maintenance of Roads

(1) A road owner may extract in the total land requirement the mineral resources necessary for the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of roads in accordance with the law On Subterranean Depths without special authorisation and charge.

(2) The State limited liability company Latvian State Roads, valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas valsts meži" [State joint stock company Latvian State Forests], and local governments may extract the mineral resources necessary for the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of State, local government, and forest roads in accordance with the law On Subterranean Depths.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 5 December 2013; 17 December 2020]

Chapter IV
LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OF THIS LAW

Section 29. Violation of Regulations Regarding Protection of Motor Roads and Road Engineering Structures

For violations of this Law, and also for violations of the Cabinet regulations regarding State protection of motor roads, persons at fault shall be subject to the liability specified in the law.

[1 October 1997]

Section 30. Compensation for Damage Caused to Motor Roads and Road Engineering Structures

(1) Legal persons and natural persons who have caused damage to a motor road, road engineering structures, or technical means of traffic organisation by damaging or destroying them shall compensate for the losses caused to the motor road owner in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.

(2) Legal persons and natural persons who have performed arbitrary construction in the total land requirement or any other unlawful activities therein shall, upon request of the motor road owner or an authorised person thereof, ensure demolition of the constructed structures and arrangement of the total land requirement by covering the relevant expenses from their own funds.

[10 May 2007]

Section 31. Liability of the State Limited Liability Company Latvian State Roads and Officials Thereof for the Violation of Regulations Regarding Maintenance of Motor Roads and Road Engineering Structures

(1) For the failure to conform to the obligations provided for in Section 23 of this Law resulting in damage to motor road users, the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads shall compensate for the damage caused thereto in accordance with the law.

(2) For violation of the regulations regarding the maintenance of motor roads and road engineering structures or for the failure to take measures in a timely manner in order to prohibit or restrict the traffic in separate road sections the use of which may pose threat to the transport safety, officials shall be subject to disciplinary, administrative or any other liability in accordance with the law.

[1 October 1997; 10 November 2005; 17 December 2020]

Section 32. Procedures by which the Law Comes into Force

The Law shall come into force on 2 April 1992.

Transitional Provisions

1. [15 December 2011]

2. [15 December 2011]

3. [10 May 2007]

4. [10 May 2007]

5. [18 December 2008]

6. The Cabinet shall, by 1 February 2008, issue the regulations referred to in Section 13.¹ of this Law.

[10 May 2007]

7. The Cabinet shall, by 1 October 2007, issue the regulations referred to Section 12, Paragraph seven of this Law regarding the amount of share of the earmarked grant, the procedures for distributing it among local governments, the procedures for the utilisation of the earmarked grant, the procedures for controlling the legality and regularity of utilisation thereof, and the procedures by which local governments shall report on the utilisation of the earmarked grant. Until the day of coming into force of the relevant regulations, but not later than until 1 October 2007, Cabinet Regulation No. 217 of 21 March 2006, Regulations Regarding the Earmarked Grant Allocated for the Financing and Development of Local Government Roads and Streets, shall be applied, insofar as it is not in contradiction with this Law.

[10 May 2007]

8. Amendments to this Law regarding the deletion of Sections 17 and 20 and the rewording of Section 19 shall come into force on 1 October 2007. Until the day of coming into force of the relevant amendments, the term "enterprise road" in Sections17, 19, and 20 of this Law shall mean the merchant road within the meaning of Section 3, Paragraphs one and 1.¹ of this Law.

[10 May 2007]

9. Until the day of coming into force of the amendments referred to in Paragraph 8 of these Transitional Provisions, the Cabinet shall issue corresponding regulations referred to in Section 19, Paragraph three of this Law (in the new wording).

[10 May 2007]

10. The width of the total land requirement referred to in Section 27.¹ of this Law shall only refer to the local government and merchant roads the construction of which has been commenced after the day of coming into force of this Section. Until the day of coming into force of Section 27.¹ of this Law, the width of the total land requirement of local government, merchant and house roads which has been specified by the day of coming into force of this Section shall be applicable to the built local government and merchant roads. If until the day of coming into force of Section 27.¹ of this Law, the width of a built local government or merchant road is smaller than that specified in this Section, it may be increased if the owner of the motor road and the owner of the land adjacent to the motor road have mutually agreed upon this.

[10 May 2007; 18 December 2008]

11. Amendments to this Law regarding the deletion of Section 3, Paragraph four and the rewording of Section 8 shall come into force on 1 July 2009.

[18 December 2008]

12. [6 November 2013]

13. [6 November 2013]

14. [8 October 2009]

15. The term "Category 1 motor roads" used in other laws and regulations shall mean the term "regional motor roads" used in this Law, but the term "Category 2 motor roads" shall mean the term "local motor roads".

[5 March 2009]

16. Amendments to this Law regarding the rewording of Section 6, Paragraphs one, two, and three shall come into force on 1 January 2011.

[8 October 2009]

17. Section 6, Paragraph 4.¹ of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2011.

[21 October 2010]

18. Until making of the relevant entries in registers of the Commercial Register institution, the term "valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs"" [State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer] used in this Law shall correspond to the term "akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs"" [joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer] used in other laws and regulations, insofar as it is not in contradiction with this Law.

[6 November 2013]

19. [27 April 2017]

20. The Cabinet shall, by 31 January 2014, issue the regulations referred to in Section 6, Paragraph nine of this Law.

[5 December 2013]

21. The Cabinet shall, by 1 September 2017, issue the regulations referred to in Section 7, Paragraph two of this Law (in the new wording) which determine the procedures for monitoring maintenance of local government motor roads. Until the day of coming into force of the relevant Cabinet regulations, but not later than by 1 September 2017, Cabinet Regulation No. 10 of 8 January 2008, Procedures for Monitoring Construction, Reconstruction and Maintenance of Local Government Roads, Merchant Roads and House Roads, shall be applicable, insofar as it is not in contradiction with this Law.

[27 April 2017]

22. The Cabinet shall, by 30 June 2018, issue the regulations referred to in Section 25 of this Law (in the new wording) regarding general quality requirements for the construction of State and local government motor roads and streets.

[27 April 2017]

23. The financing allocated to the State budget programme "State Motor Road Fund" from the State budget subsidy from general revenue shall be increased by the following amounts until it reaches the amount specified in Section 12, Paragraph four of the law On Motor Roads:

1) from 2018 - by the amount not smaller than the difference between the State budget actual revenue from the excise duty on petroleum products and the revenue estimated in the annual State budget law from the excise duty on petroleum products, if the actual revenue in the relevant year exceeds the estimated revenue, taking the last year as a base year with regard to which the actual revenue from the excise duty on petroleum products is known;

2) in addition to the amount referred to in Sub-paragraph 1 of this Paragraph, from 2020 - by at least five per cent a year in comparison with the State budget funding directed to the State budget programme "State Motor Road Fund" in the previous year if the projection for the nominal gross domestic product in the relevant year increases by at least five per cent.

[22 November 2017]

24. [17 December 2020]

25. Amendments to this Law regarding the new wording of Section 7, Paragraph three and the deletion of Paragraph 3.¹, the new wording of the title of Section 23.², the deletion of Paragraph two and the deletion of the word "complex" from Paragraph four shall come into force on 1 January 2021.

[17 December 2020]

26. Amendment to this Law regarding the new wording of Section 23.², Paragraph one shall come into force on 1 January 2021. Section 23.², Paragraph one of this Law shall be in force until 30 April 2022.

[17 December 2020 / Amendment regarding the deletion of Section 23.², Paragraph one shall be included in the wording of the Law as of 1 May 2022]

27. Amendment to this Law regarding the supplementation of Section 23 with Paragraph three shall come into force on 1 May 2022. In order to select the performer of daily maintenance works of State motor roads in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding public procurement, the State limited liability company Latvian State Roads is entitled, from 1 January 2021, to commence a public procurement of daily maintenance works of State motor roads, dividing the subject-matter of the procurement into lots according to individual regions (territories).

[17 December 2020 / Section 23, Paragraph three shall be included in the wording of the Law as of 1 May 2022]

28. The Minister for Transport shall enter into a delegation contract with the State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer regarding the performance of daily maintenance works of State motor roads from 1 January 2021 to 30 April 2022.

[17 December 2020]

29. In case if, in accordance with that specified in Paragraph 27 of these Transitional Provisions, the procurement contract or the contract regarding a lot of procurement is not entered into by 31 January 2022, the Ministry of Transport shall, in order to ensure daily maintenance of State motor roads, delegate the performance of daily maintenance works of State motor roads in the relevant region (territory) to the State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer for a period not exceeding two years.

[17 December 2020]

30. Amendment to this Law regarding the deletion of Section 23.¹ shall come into force on 17 December 2021.

[17 December 2020]

31. Amendment to this Law regarding the deletion of Paragraph 1 of the Informative Reference to European Union Directives shall come into force on 19 October 2021.

[17 December 2020]

32. Amendment to this Law regarding the deletion of Paragraph 3 of the Informative Reference to European Union Directives shall come into force on 17 December 2021.

[17 December 2020]

33. Amendment to this Law regarding the supplementation of the Informative Reference to European Union Directives with Paragraph 4 shall come into force on 19 October 2021.

[17 December 2020]

Informative Reference to the European Union Directives

[19 October 2006; 21 October 2010; 17 December 2020]

This Law contains legal norms arising from:

(1) [17 December 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of Transitional Provisions];

2) Directive 2004/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network;

(3) [17 December 2020 / See Paragraph 32 of Transitional Provisions];

4) Directive (EU) 2019/520 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the interoperability of electronic road toll systems and facilitating cross-border exchange of information on the failure to pay road fees in the Union (recast) (Text with EEA relevance).

Chairperson of the Supreme Council
of the Republic of Latvia A. Gorbunovs

Secretary of the Supreme Council
of the Republic of Latvia I. Daudišs

Rīga, 11 March 1992

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)