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OSLO

‘We feared it would happen’: Oslo sees first death of electric scooter rider

A 68-year-old man died from injuries sustained in an electric scooter accident in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, police confirmed on Tuesday. The man becomes the first person in Oslo to die in an accident involving an e-scooter and the third in Norway. 

'We feared it would happen': Oslo sees first death of electric scooter rider
A bank of electric scooters. Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

The scooter user, who has not been named, was rushed to Oslo University Hospital on Saturday and put on life support following the accident. 

“It is a tragic accident that has had fatal consequences,” Knut Nandrup from Oslo Police district told state broadcaster NRK.

The accident took place on a pedestrian path in Vollebekk. No other vehicles or people were involved in the accident. 

The man was found on the path by a passerby in a car who stopped to administer first aid until emergency services arrived.

On Monday, his family decided to end the 68-year-old’s life-extending care when it became apparent that he would not recover from his injuries. 

“He had massive head injuries, and his life was unable to be saved,” Nandrup said. 

“Life support was turned off because there was no chance to save his life. This decision was made in consultation with the man’s relatives,” he added. 

Henrik Siverts, one of several doctors from Oslo University Hospital who previously called for the devices to be more regulated, described the incident as tragic. 

He also said that while the incident was unfortunate, it was not entirely unexpected. 

“We have feared that something like this would happen for a long time. It is perhaps strange that it has not happened before now,” Siverts told NRK.

Scooter rental companies and local authorities have been under increasing pressure to tighten the rules and regulations for the devices following a surge in accidents

Oslo Municipality has previously committed to cutting the number of scooters in the capital and introducing curfews and designated pick up and drop off points for the devices. The new changes will come into effect in September.

REVEALED: How Oslo will crackdown on electric scooters

Police have appealed to any potential witnesses who may have witnessed the accident or been in the area in the time leading up to the incident to come forward. 

“We know little about what happened. There were no direct witnesses to the incident,” Nandrup said. 

Nandrup also urged scooter users to wear a helmet. 

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RENTING

Rental prices in Norway’s biggest cities continue to rise

The cost of renting in Norway's four largest cities rose overall during the third quarter, with prices up six percent this year, figures from Real Estate Norway show. 

Rental prices in Norway's biggest cities continue to rise

A sharp increase in rent prices in Norway continued throughout the third quarter, figures from Real Estate Norway (Eiendom Norge) released on Tuesday show. 

“Real Estate Norway’s rental housing price statistics show a historically strong rise in rental housing prices in Norway in the third quarter,” Henning Lauridsen, CEO of Real Estate Norway, stated in a report on the latest figures. 

Growth was most robust in Stavanger and Oslo, according to Real Estate Norway. 

“The strong growth in rental prices we have seen in the wake of the pandemic continued in the third quarter, and it is particularly in the Stavanger region and in Oslo that the growth in rental prices is strong,” Lauridsen said. 

Stavanger and nearby Sandnes saw the largest price increases, with the cost of renting there increasing by 4.7 percent during the third quarter. During the same period, rents in Oslo increased by 2.5 percent, while a marginal 0.3 percent rise was recorded in Trondheim. 

While the cost of renting in Norway’s four largest cities overall increased by 2 percent, rental prices in Bergen declined. There, rents fell by 2.5 percent in the third quarter.

Lauridsen said that the increase in rental prices was likely to continue due to several factors. High inflation, interest rates, increased taxes on rental properties and a low supply of homes on the market all contributed to increasing rents. 

However, he did note that the supply of rental homes on the market had increased in Trondheim and Oslo since the summer. 

Lauridsen said that the least well-off financially were being hit hardest by rent rises. Previously, the Norwegian government has informed The Local that it will not introduce a temporary cap on rent increases. 

READ MORE: Norway’s government rules out a temporary rent cap

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