People of Palangiški join the fight against the noise of J.Basanavičiaus Street: “This is the only place in Lithuania where the laws do not apply” | Business

It’s a warm Saturday evening in Palanga, so J.Basanavičiaus street has already come to life – groups of vacationers are drawn in both directions, outdoor tables are quickly filling up, and music is playing in cafes and restaurants.

However, what is entertainment for some, is a headache that lasts for years for others. The songs emanating from J.Basanavičiaus Street are the focus of attention this Saturday at the beginning of July, when I meet with a dozen members of the community of residents of S.Nėries Street in Palanga near the Kurhaus.

Eriko Ovčarenko/BNS photo/Sunset at the Palanga bridge

They are going on an important mission tonight – with specialists from the National Public Health Center (NVSC) to measure whether the music coming from cafes and restaurants does not exceed the permissible standards.

Small businessmen and residents of Palanga, who rent rooms to vacationers in the summer, started gathering in this community a couple of years ago, tired of the music and noise coming from J. Basanavičius and the surrounding streets until the morning, and tired of fighting one by one.

“When a person comes to Palanga, walking down J.Basanavičius Street for the first time, he sees a beautiful scene: people are dancing, having fun, singing. But behind there are 5-6 guest houses, to which customers drop their keys and say: “I won’t be here.” Or they write a unit and comment that it is impossible to live with you, noise. We got together and started talking about a simple matter – there is no business culture and responsibility in Palanga. Money at any cost is important here: that the neighbors won’t sleep, that a small business won’t be able to live nearby – it doesn’t matter at all. This is no longer the case in Vilnius, it is no longer the case in Kaunas”, – 15min said Vilius Martusevičius, the chairman of the community determined to change the situation, the manager of the Arčiau juros guest house.

Photo by Greta Skaraitienė/BNS/Businessmen fighting for civilized business in Palanga. V. Martusevičius – second from the right

Irma, whose family has been living in Palanga since 1976, adds that for several years they have not even rented rooms to vacationers: “We just can’t, because people leave and don’t come back because of the noise on the street.”