Just under 30 people live on Bjelkarøy, and several of them commute to work on the mainland in Bergen or Øygarden. The government will make it easier to live like this. Several connections have received free ferries and traffic congestion in the past year. But for people on Bjelkarøy and the neighboring island of Lerøy, it has become more difficult to plan the weekday. Many people who live on the mainland take the ferry, and it is often full when it comes to the islands. – It’s a nightmare, says Inger Lerøy, who lives in Lerøy. DEPENDENT ON THE FERRY: Magnar Stormark lives in Bjelkarøy and has to take the ferry to get to work. Photo: Arne Frank Solheim / news Fear of eviction – Two to three times a week there are cars left at the departures in the morning. We struggle to get to work and other important appointments on time, says Magnar Stormark, who lives in Bjelkarøy. The island has experienced good growth in recent years. Several houses have been built or restored, but now Stormark fears that the development will reverse. – There are people who are now considering moving because of the ferry service. If you don’t get to work, it’s a big problem. The ferry carries 30 percent more cars this year than last year, according to figures news has received from the county transport company Skyss. In May last year, a total of three cars were left standing. In May this year, the number was 33. There are free ferry departures from these two places. For those who live there, it poses a problem. Can book a seat on some departures Bjørn Skauge also lives in Bjelkarøy. He has repeatedly reported the challenges to Vestland county and the public transport company Skyss. – This has been a problem ever since the ferry service was put up for competition in 2012, but has increased since the arrival of the free ferries. They do not want to give up on the free ferries, but are calling for more departures and for the islanders to be given priority. Skyss admits that there are challenges on the connection, but says that they are introducing measures to secure people on the islands a place on the ferry. Motorists can book a place on some ferry departures the evening before departure. Photo: Kjell Jøran Hansen / news On some departures, people on the islands can book seats the night before. Full ferries also go back to pick up cars sometimes, but only at Hjellestad. – The connection is now used more by travelers going from Øygarden to Bergen. There is a paradox in that this also creates difficulties for the islanders, who are some of those who are intended to benefit from the free offer. We also don’t have a fully functional ordering system yet, answers press contact Øyvind Strømmen. More traffic on narrow roads Also further south in the county, increased traffic causes unrest. On Halsnøy in Kvinnherad, mother of young children Cathrin Svåsand stands on the narrow and unclear road with a speed limit of 80 km/h. – It is incredibly scary for us who live here. After the ferry between Utbjoa in Vindafjord and Sydnes in Kvinnherad became free, there are more people who choose that route. MORE TRUCKS: The ferry is one of several alternative routes between Rogaland in the north and Vestland in the south. – I understand that more people like the one that is free, says Cathrin Svåsand. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news Traffic on the entire connection has increased by around 20 per cent since last year. Directly between Utbjoa and Sydnes, the increase is almost 50 per cent. – We want people to come, but then it must be accompanied by measures that can make vegans safe and prepared for the increase, says Svåsand. The ferry passes by the islands of Fjelberg and Borgundøy, and the number of cars left behind has increased. From January to May last year, a total of ten cars had to be left behind due to a full ferry. In the same period this year, the number has increased to 63. – There are perhaps a few more cases where people are left standing due to a full ferry, but all in all, people are very satisfied with the arrangement, says Stig Arild Fosse, who runs the convenience store Fjelberg Landhandel. In the first five months of this year, almost 3,500 cars have had to remain on the ferry connection to Vestland county, figures from Skyss show. That is around 1,500 more than in the same period last year. FULL FERRY: Cathrin Svåsand was on the ferry charter at Sydnes on a Sunday in May. Then around 20 cars were left standing because the ferry was full, she says. Photo: Privat No money for better offers and roads This summer even more ferries will be free or cheaper. The government will spend approximately NOK 420 million on the scheme this year. Recently, the county council in Vestland adopted several connections that will be free or receive a rate reduction of 50 per cent from 16 August. – The scheme reduces the disadvantages of living along the coast, and means a lot to those affected, says county mayor Jon Askeland (Sp). At the same time, he admits that increased traffic does not trigger better ferry services or road improvements. – The county municipality does not have the resources to automatically increase the offer. It is also clear that not all the county roads along the coast are good enough, but that is another matter. NARROW ROAD: Several places along the road are both narrow and unclear. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news
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Islanders struggle to get a seat on the ferry after it became free – news Vestland
