The Tallinn city government has decided that starting next winter, the city will itself remove snow and ice from all sidewalks owned by the city. Until now, this was done by property owners. The change does not affect privately owned sidewalks.
Maintenance of city-owned sidewalks will cost approximately 11 million euros per year. Manual maintenance costs 5.76 million, machine maintenance 1.54 million, and snow removal 3.86 million euros. The calculations are based on the assumption that 60% of maintenance is done manually and 40% by machine.
The city will need to find new contractors for sidewalk maintenance. Last winter, the obligation was not fully taken on, but only in some parts of the city. The coalition agreement states that property owners will be relieved of the obligation to maintain sidewalks owned by the city.
Another innovation is that chlorides can be used on pedestrian and bicycle paths for snow and ice control in exceptional cases. Until now, this was prohibited. Chlorides can be used in severe weather conditions to ensure safety. The use of ash for snow and ice control remains prohibited.
If the city council approves the changes, they will come into force on October 1. By that time, the current contracts will need to be revised.