– You can’t do anything but laugh at it. It’s a joke, says Kvitsøy resident Kristian Pallesen. Norway’s smallest municipality, Kvitsøy in Rogaland, will have a ferry-free connection for the first time when the world’s longest undersea tunnel is completed. Kristian Pallesen lives in Kvitsøy. He thinks it is ridiculous that the bus stops are in place ten years before the residents can take a bus. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news According to the plan, the tunnel, named Rogfast, will open in 2033. But the municipality has already prepared for the new everyday life. Something as exotic as two bus shelters is now in place, ten years before the 543 inhabitants can take the bus. – I think maybe the local population was shocked. It is a bit special that it is set up. Mayor of Kvitsøy municipality, Kjell André Nordbø. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news This is what mayor Kjell André Nordbø (Bygdelisten) says. – It is a great signal that we are getting a mainland connection. And now we can stand and wait for the bus, probably for ten years. People already use it as a waiting shed when they have walked the dog, and the slightly older ones take a break here. It was Bygdebladet that first mentioned the case. Kvitsøy is known for its unique history around lobster. Now several of the bus shelters that appeared ten years before the bus are chuckling. Photo: Åse Karin Hansen / news – Ridiculous Although the mayor interprets the bus stops as a positive signal, not everyone is clapping their hands hard. – There is much I do not understand when it comes to the construction of Rogfast, but setting up a bus shelter here ten years before we are allowed to use it does not belong. It is simply ridiculous, says Kristian Pallesen. Amina Kosovac also thinks the bus shelters are a strange addition to the island. Amina Kosovac from Kvitsøy. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news – It’s quite silly that they plan so far in advance. – Are you looking forward to taking the bus to the mainland? – Not really, because the tunnel will be quite long, and it seems a bit scary to drive that far under the sea. Asphalting in the Kvitsøy tunnel in Rogfast was started in April this year. Photo: Ronny Sæterlid Library, hammock and waffles According to Sveinung Brude in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the construction contractor, Risa, has followed the contract to the letter. Therefore, the bus stops have already appeared ten years before there is a need for them. – People may find it strange that they are already there, and we understand that. Now we plan to dismantle the sheds and put them in storage. But at Kvitsøy they would like to leave them standing, and want to find alternative uses until the bus is finally in place: – We have lots of ideas about this. We would like a pop-up library, make it possible to sleep here in a hammock, or have a waffle iron that can stand. We have to see the potential in it, says administrative and cultural consultant in Kvitsøy, Ida Haugerud Dahl. Ida Haugerud Dahl is looking forward to Kvitsøy getting a mainland connection. In the meantime, she envisions a library, accommodation and waffles in the bus shelters. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news She believes that the bus shelter can become an attraction in the future. – If the bus shelters can be allowed to stand, that would be great. So now we have to put some pressure on them to stay. Will miss the ferry Ole Olsen is a former politician and Kvitsøy mayor. He has also been the leader of the action group for continued free ferries in Rogaland. He looks forward to Kvitsøy becoming landlocked, and is positive that the bus stops are in place. – We are early, that’s for sure. But it is good that something is in place. I think when something like that comes early, some people can react to it. If something is late, someone reacts to it. Ole Olsen, former politician (KrF) and mayor of Kvitsøy. Today he is the owner and general manager of the window and door manufacturer Meling on the island. Photo: Erik Waage He is also the general manager of the company Meling, which is based on the island. The job means that he often has to take the ferry to Stavanger. – That we become landlocked in 2033 means stability and security. There will be opportunities to drive around the clock. But for now, the ferry is the only connection to the mainland. – Will the ferry be missed when Rogfast is in place? – That is clear. The ferry is a social arena that is impossible to replace, and you get to talk to people about everything other than what we usually do. It’s a free minute. It will probably be missed for a while, and then we forget about it. Ferry Vollsøy on its way from Mekjarvik in Randaberg to the island municipality of Kvitsøy in Rogaland. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 14.08.2024, at 21.04
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Kvitsøy will not get a bus until 2033 at the earliest, but the bus shelters are in place – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
