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Norwegian city to make all public transport free

Public transport in one of Norway's largest cities, Stavanger, will be free from July 1st.

Published: 22 May 2023 12:44 CEST
Stavanger centre
The new measure is set to cover bus, boat, and train transport in the municipalities of Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, and Randaberg. Photo by Gunnar Ridderström on Unsplash

Stavanger plans to spend 200 million kroner to make public transport free for everyone who lives in the municipality.

The measure will apply to bus, boat, and train transport, the municipality announced in a press release on Monday. Currently, a single ticket in Stavanger costs 46 kroner and a monthly ticket sets travellers back 630 kroner. 

The decision was made after the Labour Party, the People’s Party – FNB, the Greens, the Reds, the Centre Party, and the Socialist Left Party reached an agreement on the issue at the local level.

Fully financed public transport

The parties announced that the change means that Stavanger will become the first large Norwegian city to fully finance public transport for its residents.

“For many, the car is and will still be necessary, but many people are in a situation where they can get by without a car or cut the use of a second car in their household.

“We hope that the free bus ensures that more people try to travel more by public transport in their everyday lives, preferably in combination with increased bicycle use,” Mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun said.

Due to population growth and a local business boom, Stavanger has experienced an increase in car traffic in recent years.

The municipality aims to have at least 70 percent of all passenger journeys taking place on foot, by bicycle, or public transport.

“That is why it is important that powerful measures are taken to cover more people who can cycle or use public transport in the Stavanger region,” Nordtun said.

Who will be covered by the measure?

Public transport will be free for all residents of Stavanger throughout Nord-Jæren, that is, the municipalities of Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, and Randaberg, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports.

For now, the measure only applies to registered residents of Stavanger municipality, but Stavanger’s Labour Party encourages the neighbouring municipalities to follow suit.

Passengers will need to prove that they are residents of Stavanger municipality when approached by a ticket inspector, the Labour Party explained.

The final cost of the measure and technical clarifications are scheduled to be adopted at the municipal council meeting on Monday, June 19th.

Mayor of Stavanger Kari Nessa Nordtun has told Norwegian newspaper VG that money has been set aside for free public transport in 2023 and 2024, however the situation could change following local elections later this year.

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OSLO

Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

The strained finances of bus provider Unibuss could cause chaos for Oslo’s bus network if the company folds. 

Published: 24 April 2024 12:08 CEST
Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

Unibuss, which is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality, is in danger of going bust due to large losses, unpaid bills, and fines from public transport firm Ruter for issues with its electric bus fleet this winter. 

Oslo City Council will hold an emergency meeting headed up by transport councilor Marit Vea on Wednesday, where she will be grilled on how the council will avert a collapse in the city’s public transport network should Unibuss go bankrupt. 

Unibuss is comprised of four smaller companies that operate bus routes in Oslo on behalf of Ruter. The company has just over 370 buses in operation and covers around 60 to 70 percent of the routes in Oslo and the neighboring municipality of Bærum. 

Oslo’s fleet of electric busses struggled especially with snow and cold temperatures this winter, which caused frequent chaos across the capital’s public transport network. 

Snow, ice, range and charging issues for the busses lead to vehicle shortages which caused mass delays and cancellations several times over the winter. 

Ruter, which is also part owned by Oslo municipality, believes that the financial problems facing Unibuss mean the company could be forced to file for bankruptcy or undergo a major restructuring, according to a memo obtained by publication Teknisk Ukeblad.  

It has previously told public broadcaster that it was working on a plan in case Unibuss goes bankrupt. 

“There is no doubt that the first days of such a scenario will be very demanding for the residents of Oslo and parts of Akershus,” Ruter’s communications director Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen told public broadcaster NRK.  

“First and foremost, we are working to find a solution together with Unibuss that does not affect Ruter’s customers,” she said. 

“But as those responsible for public transport, we have both a plan and an emergency organization ready to also handle a bankruptcy,” Skarsbø Moen added. 

Should Unibuss go bankrupt, its buses would become part of the bankruptcy estate and if such an event were to occur while passengers were in transit, all passengers would need to disembark at the next stop so the buses can be transported to the depot. 

Ruter said it had an eye on the market to try and see what could be available in terms of extra buses and equipment. 

It said that its priority would be to ensure that school transport, and that healthcare workers could get to work, in the event of a sudden lack of buses. 

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