Transport
AI
Tallinn Averts Bus Service Collapse, Exposing Fleet Repair Flaws
Tallinn's public transport operator narrowly avoided significant service disruptions across seven key routes after technical failures on its Solaris Urbino buses revealed critical delays in warranty engine repairs handled by an external partner.
- —Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) warned of potential disruptions on several bus routes on February 4, 2026, due to technical problems with Solaris Urbino buses.
- —The company initially reported that approximately 14 buses were under repair, compounded by accidents and delays in receiving spare parts, leading to a risk of service gaps.
- —TLT's board member, Andrei Novikov, confirmed a risky situation but stated that mechanics worked late to mitigate the shortage, resulting in only two buses being unavailable and covered by reserve vehicles.
- —Novikov explained that warranty repairs for the new Solaris bus engines, handled by a partner, are causing longer-than-usual repair times due to potential issues with parts or specialists.
- —Despite the initial warning, TLT reported that no actual service gaps occurred, and any potential impact would have been minimal on high-frequency routes where buses run every five minutes.
Recap
A potential bus shortage in Tallinn was averted, but the incident exposed a critical vulnerability in the city's transport system. The reliance on an external partner for warranty repairs on new Solaris buses creates a maintenance bottleneck, posing an ongoing risk to operational reliability despite the lack of public-facing disruption this time.