news has previously told about families with children from Steigen who have to shell out close to NOK 3,000 to travel by speedboat to Bodø. – I was shocked when I had to pay the bill for me and two children. I think it is extremely exclusionary, said Pernille Johansen when news met her on the express boat on the way to Steigen from Bodø. The government has made ferries free and halved the price of plane tickets on the short-haul network. Yesterday, the position in Stavanger municipality announced that they will make all public transport free. Now the county council in Nordland wants to cut the ticket price for fast boats as well. – We are lowering the price by 25 per cent on fast boats throughout Nordland. This is the first step. Then we want the government to pick up its share of the bill in the next round, says county council leader Elin Dahlseng Eide (Ap). A reduction of 25 percent will cost approx. NOK 14 million a year. When news discussed the issue of the expensive speedboat tickets in April, the county council rejected that they could pay for cheaper tickets. Shortly afterwards they presented figures showing a profit of almost NOK 800 million. Parts of this money are now being used for cheaper fast boats. Speedboat the only option Deputy leader of the county council, Svein Øien Eggesvik (Sp) and county council leader Elin Dahlseng Eide (Ap) want the state to contribute to cheaper tickets on speedboats. Photo: Lars Bjørn Martinsen / news Nevertheless, the deputy chairman of the county council, Svein Øien Eggesvik (Sp), believes that the government must take its share of the responsibility to bring prices down. – We work against politicians in the Storting and in the government. We see it as an injustice that the ferries have become free and plane tickets halved, but for many who live along the coast, speedboats are the only option. This price picture must be more equal, says Øien Eggesvik. – Why can’t you who are responsible take the entire bill yourself? – It is right that we are responsible, but we are dependent on funds from the state to provide a fast boat service in Nordland. We do not have an oil fund, and must operate as best as possible with the money we have. We have special challenges with the many fast boat routes in the county, Øien Eggesvik points out. The county municipality operates 21 speedboat routes in Nordland. These will now be 25 percent cheaper. – Up to the county council itself The express boat Elsa Laula Renberg on its way to Lofoten Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news When news challenged the Ministry of Transport for cheaper express boat tickets in April, they were clear that it was the county council’s responsibility. – Whether the speedboat prices are to be reduced – it is up to the county municipalities themselves, said State Secretary Cecilie Knibe Kroglund. – The state allocates funds for ferries and boat routes in the county municipalities, and the county municipalities are free to cut the prices on the boat routes. These are the ferry winners if the government gets what they want Praises the measure, but cannot promise extra money Finance Minister and leader of the Center Party, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, praises the county council in Nordland for cutting the price of the fast ferries, but he will not promise his own money from the government. He visited Vesterålen today where he opened a new port in Stokmarknes. Trygve Slagsvold Vedum marked the start of free ferries last summer. Photo: Lars-Petter Kalkenberg / news – It is very good that Nordland is making this move. We included extra funding for the coastal counties in our last budget because it is important that we reduce travel costs along the coast. It’s about binding the country together, says Vedum to news. – Is it appropriate to contribute extra money to cut the prices of fast boats? – There are many counties with long distances and I think it is important that the state stands up. When we made ferries free, we said that this was just the beginning. Then I see that the pressure for cheaper tickets for fast boats is increasing. But that is not part of our planning now. Believes the county should foot the bill itself The opposition in Nordland, on the other hand, believes it is wrong that Vedum and the government must foot their part of the bill in order to halve the prices. – They should go “all in” and provide half price for speedboat tickets right away. There is no reason to wait for the state, says deputy leader of Nordland Venstre, Ida Gudding Johnsen. – The Conservative Party has already submitted a case to the county council in which we are in favor of a halving. And it is positive that they are coming after us with a reduction, but a 25 percent discount is not good enough. People are almost ripped off today with today’s prices. We don’t have time to wait for the government, says Høyre’s top candidate in Nordland, Marianne Dobak Kvensjø.
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The county municipality cuts the ticket price by 25 percent – news Nordland
