From 1 January 2024, it is only permitted for foreign bus companies to carry out passenger transport on Norwegian roads for periods of a maximum of 20 consecutive days, and a maximum of 30 days in total per calendar year. The tightening comes after Fellesforbundet and others have called for clearer frameworks for passenger transport in Norway Today, the EEA rules state that tour buses from EU/EEA countries can carry out cabotage on an “intermediate basis”, but without the term “intermediate” being more closely defined . Foreign tour buses have therefore driven around on Norwegian roads from May to September. Forces in the Labor Party have previously advocated copying the Danish and Icelandic models, but as these may be in conflict with EEA regulations, the government has opted for a less radical solution modeled after France and Latvia. – With clear frameworks for when foreign bus companies can carry out domestic transport in Norway, we contribute to a level playing field and avoid social dumping, says Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap). Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård has previously stated that he is “very interested” in the Danish model. In Denmark, foreign bus companies must leave after seven days. The new rule in Norway set a ceiling of 20 consecutive days. Photo: Fritz Hansen / Fremover/NTB – Has gone beyond Norwegian preparedness The transport minister says the tightening has two purposes: To ensure competition on equal terms in the tour bus industry. To reduce the use of low-paid foreign drivers in Norway. On top of that, the state misses out on revenue as several of the foreign players are not registered for value added tax. Foreign drivers must be paid the Norwegian minimum wage in Norway, but in a survey from 2021, only 14 percent of drivers answered that they are paid according to Norwegian standards. In 2011, there were 2,723 Norwegian-registered tour buses in Norway. A good ten years later, the figure is well below 2,000. Now the hope is that the trend will reverse. – The competition from foreign players means that the number of Norwegian tour buses has been reduced by more than 30 per cent in recent years, something that has exceeded Norwegian preparedness, says director of NHO Transport, Jon H. Stordrange. He adds that he is “very happy that the government is finally introducing clear boundaries on foreign tour buses in Norway”. – The ministry deserves credit for finally addressing these challenges, he says. – Now it remains to find a good and comprehensive system for following up and enforcing the new boundaries. The director’s colleague at NHO Reiseliv, Ole Michael Bjørndal, is less positive: – We are concerned that the government has chosen a much stricter model than other European countries, and are very surprised that this is being introduced without the proposal having even been consulted. Audun Pettersen is director of Virke reiseliv. – Both the timing and the process of the proposal are very unfortunate. It will be promoted at a time after the pandemic when neither tourism nor the tour bus industry in Norway is back to an almost normal situation, he says. NHO reiseliv: – We are concerned Ole Michael Bjørndal, director of NHO reiseliv – We are concerned that too much of the capacity will disappear with this proposal. When there are not enough Norwegian drivers and buses to replace the foreign ones, it will result in fewer guests to Norwegian hotels and the tourism industry. It will further weaken our competitiveness against our neighboring countries if we do not have good enough transport capacity in Norway, which is completely at odds with the government’s investment in tourism as an export industry. The analysis agency Stakeholder, on behalf of the government, has carried out an analysis of the consequences of less radical austerity measures than the government is currently proposing. It shows that the loss in daily consumption can be between NOK 50-230 million. This loss will particularly hit district hotels, which already have tight margins. In the worst case, it could mean that the operating basis disappears for some, with further loss of jobs and tax income. – Many foreign operators have stretched the concept of “intermediate cabotage” quite far and operated for three to four consecutive months in Norway in the summer half, says Jon H. Stordrange, who is director of NHO Transport. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB – This is the art of political balancing The new cabotage rules come as an extension of the Action Plan against social dumping in the transport sector, and are based on an analysis of how strict limits the Norwegian authorities can implement without falling afoul of the EEA regulations . Dag-Einar Sivertsen, union secretary of the Fellesforbundet, is pleased with the tightening, which he characterizes as a good compromise between the French and Danish solutions. – This is the art of political balance, and we are very satisfied with what the government is now delivering, he says. See more reactions to the new rules below. – Time for the government to tighten Mímir Kristjánsson, Raudt – The Norwegian tour bus rules have been extremely liberal so far. It is therefore very good, but also timely, that the government is now tightening them up. But there is no reason not to introduce rules as strict as Denmark’s. Then we could stand together – and stronger – against the EU. The Labor Party pointed to the Danish model before the general election, so I am disappointed that the Norwegian rules are not as strict. A survey from 2021 shows that only 14 per cent of the foreign drivers receive a salary according to Norwegian standards, so strong action is needed to raise the salary and stop the social dumping. Mona Fagerås, spokesperson for transport policy in SV – Me, has called for this type of tightening in the transport industry for a long time and is therefore positive about this move. We are forced to go to great lengths to stop unscrupulous actors in this industry. Actors who create fear of worse working conditions, more in-laws, more mid-career arrangements and a weaker connection to working life. So this is in many ways just a first step towards improving working conditions. The next step will be for Nygård to also look at the situation in the motorhome industry. There is a lot to address here. André N. Skjelstad, spokesperson for transport policy in Venstre – We are positive that there will be a tightening of the cabotage regulations for passenger transport in Norway. The Ministry of Transport started the work to tighten these regulations when the Liberals were in government, so it is good that this is now in place. Frank Sve, FRP – We believe these are sensible changes that will contribute to better competitive conditions in the industry. Jan-Terje Mentzoni, director of the Norwegian Truck Owners’ Association – We support all intentions to ensure good working conditions for drivers, and believe this is very important to also facilitate recruitment into the professional driving profession. We have used our knowledge of the conditions along Norwegian roads in our argument to get better regulations in place. We also work well with the governing authorities on a day-to-day basis and through the work in the tripartite industry program for transport. The EU’s mobility directive was introduced in Norway in 2020, and last year was supplemented with a “social part” to remove unscrupulous players and ensure better competition conditions. On Monday, the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers agreed to tighten the emission limits for heavy and light vehicles. The decision is a watered-down version of what the EU Commission first put forward, but set stricter limit values for emissions of brake dust and microplastics from tyres. Cabotage rules for the tour car industry EU: Foreign tour cars can drive an unlimited number of trips within a country, but the driving must be of an intermediate nature. The EU has not defined what they include in the term “intermediate”. DENMARK: Foreign touring cars can drive for a maximum of seven days per month in Denmark. The European Commission opened a case against Denmark in 2021. ICELAND: Foreign tour cars can drive up to ten consecutive days in Iceland in each calendar month, but there must be at least a two-day break between two ten-day periods. ESA opens a case against Iceland in 2022. FRANCE: Foreign touring cars can drive a maximum of 30 consecutive days and 45 days per year in France. No reaction from the EU or ESA. LATVIA: Foreign tour cars can drive a maximum of 30 consecutive days and a total of 90 days per year in Latvia. No reaction from the EU or ESA. Source: FriFagbevegelse – We’ve been impatient, so now we’re satisfied, says Dag-Einar Sivertsen, union secretary of the Federation. Photo: John Trygve Tollefsen / Fellesforbundet
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Stricter rules for foreign transport – news Vestland
