The case in summary Edith Nøkling, director of the public transport company Kolumbus, was caught sneaking on the bus when she forgot to renew her season ticket. Nøkling paid a fine of NOK 1,150 on the spot when the guards discovered that she did not have a valid ticket. Lasse Fredheim, head of Rogaland’s transport committee, believes that the ticket app for Kolumbus should have a function for automatic renewal of period tickets. Kolumbus loses NOK 32 million annually from passengers who do not pay for the bus. Nøkling emphasizes that it is important to pay for the ticket in order to maintain good public transport services. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It is extremely embarrassing, says Edith Nøkling. She is director of the public transport company Kolumbus. A cold morning this winter began like most other weekdays for the director. She took the bus to work from Randaberg to central Stavanger. But this morning she got a surprise. Guards on a bus in Stavanger. Photo: Privat Forgot to renew – Some guards came on board and started checking tickets, she says. Nøkling thought “so great” and took out her mobile phone when the guards asked about her ticket. – I was quite confused when I opened the app and saw that I did not have a valid ticket, says Nøkling. The Kolumbus manager tells news that she had a season ticket but that this had now expired. And just as the practice is, she was handed a fine where she could choose to pay then and there or have an invoice sent to her. – I didn’t talk my way out of the situation. It was just a matter of pulling up the bank card. Never again, she asserts. NOK 1150. Right out of account. Passengers on their way into a bus in Stavanger. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news – Sløvt av meg The period ticket she had had to be manually renewed every month. So she had forgotten to do this. – Everyday life goes by quickly. It was therefore very unexpected. It felt good, but it was bitter to pay those kroner, she says. The winter morning when this happened was dark and therefore also dark inside the bus. But there were a lot of people inside the bus. – I didn’t want people I knew to see me in that situation. In any case, it was stupid of me to get caught, It is my responsibility to check that I have a valid ticket, says Nøkling. There are over 115,000 daily journeys by bus and boat from Monday to Friday in Rogaland. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news Want automatic renewal in the app Through the Kolumbus ticket app, period tickets are not renewed automatically. This must be done manually every month for the ticket to be valid. Lasse Fredheim (H) is leader of Rogaland’s transport committee. He says it is unfortunate that Nøkling was fined. But he points his finger at Kolumbus’s app. – We must try to add the possibility of automatic renewal. This incident is a reminder for all of us to check that the season ticket has been renewed, says Fredheim. Head of the transport committee in Rogaland, Lasse Fredheim (H). He says it is unfortunate that she was taken into custody, but makes no secret of the fact that something like this can happen to anyone. Photo: ASTRID HAGLAND GJERDE He is sure that the incident with Nøkling was just an accident and that this can happen to anyone. And paying for the tickets, he says, is absolutely crucial for public transport in the county. – We are becoming more and more dependent on the ticket revenue. It is absolutely necessary to have a good offer, he says. Loses 32 million a year to sneaking Kolumbus boss Nøkling says that it is a big problem that people sneak on the buses. Every year, Kolumbus loses NOK 32 million from those who do not pay for the bus. – There are many customers who are fined at the moment. Some may have forgotten to renew, but there are also many who deliberately do not pay, she says. She comes with a clear message: – If you want good public transport services, you have to help contribute, says Nøkling. The director of Kolumbus says she is very concerned about having a valid ticket. – I will keep a closer eye on the monthly card in the future, because the days go by quickly, she says. Hello, you! Do you have any thoughts you’re stuck with after reading this case? Or maybe you have tips for something else I can write about? Feel free to get in touch! 👇 Published 11.06.2024, at 20.37
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Kolumbus boss fined for sneaking onto bus in Stavanger – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
