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Oslo to partially lift local Covid-19 restrictions

Norwegian capital Oslo is to lift some of its long-standing coronavirus restrictions from Wednesday February 3rd.

Published: 1 February 2021 17:25 CET

Oslo to partially lift local Covid-19 restrictions

Schools, kindergartens and upper secondary schools in Oslo will on Wednesday move to the "amber" level. AFP

Schools, kindergartens and upper secondary schools in Oslo will on Wednesday move to the “amber” level of the national traffic light model for safety and distancing protocols at schools.

Bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen, but a ban on serving alcohol will remain in place.

The city’s mayor, Raymond Johansen, said on Monday that there is now “space to start a gradual and controlled reopening of Oslo”, media including broadcaster NRK reported.

The Norwegian capital has had local restrictions in place for months and was recently put under even tighter restrictions by the central government, due to the detection of a more infectious variant of Covid-19 in the region. A gradual easing of the tighter restrictions was signalled by health minister Bent Høie on Saturday.

READ ALSO: ‘This situation is really demanding for a lot of people’: Oslo residents on living with social lockdown

The updated restrictions, which will take effect from Wednesday February 3rd, are as follows:

“Amber” level of the national traffic light model for safety and distancing protocols at schools, kindergartens and upper secondary schools. Universities to remain at ‘red’ level.
Children and young people under 20 may participate in organised leisure and sports
Libraries allowed to open
Shops can open, but malls and department stores must remain closed
Bars, cafes and restaurants can reopen, but the ban on serving alcohol will remain in place
Organised facilities allowed to operate under more ordinary rules for children up to upper secondary school age [fritidsklubbene in Norwegian, ed.]. Indoor activities for older age groups will remain closed, however.

READ ALSO: Restrictions in Oslo and surrounding areas to gradually ease

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What commuters need to know about travel in and out of Oslo

Rent and house prices have seen more people decide to live outside Oslo and commute in for work.

There are several other reasons, besides money, that people would want to commute into the capital. They may have flexible working hours and prefer to live in a quieter location.

They may also want to live closer to nature or, if they have children, be closer to their children’s extended family.

Still, there are quite a few things you should know about commuting in and out of Oslo.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about Norway’s commuter tax deductions

What are the pros?

In other cities, London is an example, and it’s not uncommon to hear stories of workers who commute two hours into the city each day.

Even some people living in large cities like Tokyo, London, and New York will spend an hour each way just getting across the city to work.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case in Oslo. Given how small the city is and the different transport options available, long commutes really don’t need to be the case when living outside of Oslo.

Trains from towns like Ski and Lillestrøm can reach Oslo in 10 minutes. Even if you head a bit further out to Asker, the train only takes 20 minutes, while from Drammen, the commute is about 30 minutes.

A bit further out, the commute from Drobåk can be done in around 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the train from Kongsberg takes just over an hour.

There are also plenty of options, there is a pretty robust network of busses ferrying workers into Oslo Bus Terminal everyday, there are regional trains, many choose to drive, and there are even ferries across the Oslofjord you can choose to take.

The other pros, as we’ve mentioned, are being able to live in a calmer environment, being closer to nature, and saving money on rent or mortgage payments.

What are the costs?

For most, public transport may well end up being the way they get to work, as in some cases it can be quicker than driving.

Given how common toll roads are, the cost of running a car, when you also take into account fuel and insurance, can add up.

It’s also hard to put an estimate on the cost of running a car as it will depend on the fuel economy, route you take, distance your drive and whether the car needs regular repairs.

The commuting cost for public transport will be easy to calculate if you live in the Akershus region. This is because public transport firm Ruter is responsible for the Akershus, which surrounds Oslo.

Essentially, the cost of a ticket (when using Ruter’s yearly travel ticket) ranges between 15,894 for two zones, 22,845 kroner for three zones, and the same for travel across all zones.

When using the train with Vy, the cost of a season pass in areas where Ruter operates is the same as that of Ruter.

Given that Oslo is the most expensive area to rent, the money you save on rent is unlikely to be eaten up by the cost of a rail ticket.

Are there any downsides?

Yes. The main issue for those commuting in and out of Oslo via train is punctuality. In recent years, train traffic has become much less punctual, and services have been heavily affected by signal failure.

More than 700 signal failures have occurred over the past five years, according to figures from network rail operator Bane Nor.

Such failures are most common when traffic from Oslo Central Station is at its peak, such as rush hour.

During the first six months of 2024, around 76 percent of rush hour trains have been on schedule, which is well below the target of 85 percent.

Capacity has also been an issue. Despite how frequently the trains run, they can still be overcrowded during peak hours.

There are plans to address this, as double-decker trains will be introduced in the coming years on regional trains in eastern Norway (these are trains that carry the R designation). However, these plans don’t provide an immediate solution to the issue, as they may not be in place for another 5-6 years.

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