It came as a shock to the oil city (and the country in general), when the then position with Kari Nessa Nordtun at the head set aside NOK 200 million to make public transport free. Sissel Knutsen Hegdal called the decision irresponsible, an obvious campaign game and a rush job. – In my 20 years in politics, I cannot remember a case that has been so poorly prepared, thundered Hegdal. – I’m sure it will be a success, replied Nessa Nordtun, when the municipal council decided to make public transport free from 3 July this summer. Then people started traveling for free, and the municipality experienced historic population growth. In addition, more people started taking buses throughout the county. This is how much Stavanger municipality spent on the free bus scheme. According to the municipality’s quarterly report, they will only spend NOK 165 million in 2023, of the NOK 200 million set aside for the free bus scheme. The expenses include the development, operation and communication of the scheme itself. In fact, bus use increased by 33 per cent in July, August and September, compared to 2019. And the increase was particularly large in Stavanger. Mayor Sissel Knutsen Hegdal (H) has removed the free bus scheme in Stavanger. Photo: Erik Waage / news Decided scrapping today 150,000 free monthly cards were taken out in the same three months. There were three times as many as the previous year. But Kolumbus saw no difference between before and after the bus became free. The election did not go the way of the Labor Party or Nordtun, and the new position announced that the scheme would be scrapped. And now it is decided. IT WAS VOTED: And there (!) the new city council in Stavanger chose to scrap the scheme with free buses, which their predecessors had introduced. Photo: news There will be no free bus for Stavanger’s residents next year. This happened during today’s city council meeting in Stavanger. It already happens before the 200 million, which the Labor Party set aside for the scheme, has been used up. WATCH THE DEBATE: Stavanger became the topic of the debate, when the municipality made public transport free of charge. – Extremely impressive Dag Mossige from the Labor Party in Stavanger was ecstatic during the city council meeting, and boasted of the results of the scheme. – Here it was extremely impressive how the municipality turned around so quickly. We have seen enormous growth in the passenger base and a record number have registered as residents of Stavanger. – Of course the free bus is part of that, It has also provided an annual resident subsidy of NOK 77 million, Mossige said on the podium about the bus scheme. RESULTS: Dag Mossige from the Labor Party in Stavanger used his speaking time in the city council to brag about the scheme. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news But despite this, he had to see the bus scheme being suffocated by a majority who believed that: This money should be used for other things. This is how the free bus scrapping will work for you Friday 1 December is the last day you can collect a 30-day ticket, including a youth ticket. 24 December is the last day you can pick up a 7-day ticket. Up to and including 31 December, you can pick up single tickets and 24-hour tickets. This is how it appears on Stavanger municipality’s website. Sissel Knutsen Hegdal tells news that over the next few weeks they will look at where they can put the extra sum of money. – We want to find solutions for the group in Stavanger with the least money, says the mayor. Hegdal tells news that they want to prioritize students, pensioners, schools, kindergartens and care for the elderly. But Stavanger’s majority still keep their doors open for discounted tickets for public transport, says Hegdal. Will look at the effect of free buses The Transport Economics Institute (TØI) is researching the free bus project in Stavanger. That the project will now be stopped earlier than planned will not have much to say about the results of the research, according to TØI. – In general, you will see a greater effect if a research project lasts for a longer period of time, because in the short term the environment has less time to adapt, says researcher Knut Hartveit. But it can also have a now-or-never effect. – It can also have the opposite effect. The fact that the bus is free now makes people think they have to use the offer now, says the researcher. TØI has previously stated that they do not believe the trial project will have a major effect on car traffic.
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Stavanger municipality scraps the free bus scheme – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
