Almost daily, the shipping company Norled has had problems with discontinuing scheduled traffic on the islands outside Florø in Kinn municipality, after the company took over on 1 May this year. Adults who are going to work – and pupils who are going to school – do not get there in time. Sara Svardahl Hovden, who is a teacher and lives on Færøykalven just outside Florø, is among those who arrive late. The same applies to her children Cecilia (9), Linea (7) and Louie (2), who are going to school and kindergarten. – It is terrible. The children refuse to go to school because they don’t think it’s fun to be late for class. Several parents and islanders news has spoken to describe a day that has been filled with stress and frustration. – It has turned into anger, says Hovden. The boat routes in the Florø basin On 1 May 2024, the shipping company Norled took over the contract for a number of boat routes. At the same time, new and more environmentally friendly vessels arrived. On the routes to and from Florø, the problem has been queuing. These routes are the link between the many islands outside the coastal city, and carry both passengers and cars. The routes that have had the biggest problem are: Route 291 Florø – Veiesund – Stavang – Askrova – Svanøy in the Florø basin south. Route 292 Florø – Barekstad – Batalden – Fanøy – Rognaldsvåg – Kinn in the Florø basin north. There has also been dissatisfaction with the Florø – Måløy – Selje coastal road express. The boats are still behind schedule. Commuters say that delays of up to half an hour have become common. Which in turn causes problems for the corresponding bus, work and school. The car capacity and the booking system have also received criticism. The latter must be improved. Sara Svardahl Hovden and her children Cecilia (9), Linea (7) and Louie (2) like to drive boats. But in May and June there has been a lot of waiting for the boat. Photo: Privat Galgenhumor The islanders tell of routes that have been canceled without an extra boat being set up. To get through the day, gallows humor has been the solution. If a boat is on schedule, one or more of the other boats are usually delayed. Then the students who arrived first have to wait for the rest of the students on the quay in Florø – and everyone risks being late for class. In the last week, news has been sent a video from parents who register that their children are late for school – again: In addition, older students have refused to take the boat when there are important tests or exams. They simply don’t dare, for fear of being late. Martine (11) and Victoria Svardahl (11) from the small island of Askrova find it stressful to be late for school, time after time. – The teacher starts talking, then we enter the classroom. So we have no idea what they are talking about. Martine Svardahl and Victoria Svardahl would like the boat to leave when it was supposed to. Photo: Håvard Heggen / news The first warnings Even before Norled took over the route offer on 1 May, the first warnings came. One of the boats simply did not maintain high enough speed during the test run, Fjordenes Tidene reported. The boats run on batteries, so far there is talk of charging via a diesel generator. When the charging towers for the autumn are in place on the quay in Florø, the charging time for the battery packs is calculated to be two hours. Shortly after the management team took over on 1 May, the first reactions came in the local newspaper Firdaposten. Since then, a stream has turned into a large waterfall. Companies that will carry out work on the islands are no longer allowed to ship out equipment. Accidents have led to some routes being cancelled. Residents say the information from Norled has been particularly deficient. Former day commuters on the islands have become weekly commuters in Florø, against their will. They cannot bear the stress of not knowing whether the next boat will leave on time or not. Persons with reduced functional capacity feel treated as inferior because no provision has been made for universal design. At low tide, Norled has in some cases deployed reserve vessels that are not suitable for the ordinary jetty. As a result, boat owners have been asked to borrow the private floating jetty. Has had a crisis meeting The mayor of Kinn, Bengt Solheim-Olsen (H), calls the situation “total chaos” and asks for a quick solution. It is the county municipal company Skyss that decided that Norled should be the operator on the routes from 1 May. There is talk of delays in over 90 percent of trips on certain routes, writes Fjordenes Tidene – and refers to Norled’s own figures. Skyss initially did not want to answer questions from news. But after having a crisis meeting with the owner company Norled, press contact Øyvind Strømmen says that a number of measures are being considered. Strømmen says that as an emergency measure, two extra vessels will be deployed on the routes both morning and afternoon, at some of the stops. In addition, Norled has come up with several proposals for changes and improvements, without Strømmen wanting to elaborate on what is involved in this. He says Skyss is satisfied with the feedback after the meeting, and that they have good faith that they will find positive solutions for both residents and business in the islands. Boat owners have been asked about lending this private floating jetty to Norled’s replacement boats. In some cases, those boats cannot dock at the ordinary jetty, which can be seen in the background. Photo: Private “Complainant” According to Firdaposten, Norled has previously indicated a number of challenges with the new routes and boats. Among other problems with cargo handling, larger vessels that crews need time to get to know – and the challenge of keeping to the schedule. Shuttle places all responsibility on the operator. “It is Skyss’s clear opinion that all these circumstances are basically Norled’s risk”, writes the company. Norled has so far not wished to be interviewed by news. The shipping company wrote in a short comment, through communications manager Cathrine Gjertsen: “We regret that there have been so many delays in the connection and the consequences this has for the passengers. We are doing what we can to improve the situation.” Published 18.06.2024, at 17.58
ttn-69
Islanders can no longer rely on the lifeline to the mainland – news Vestland
