Last summer, the government introduced free ferries on the smallest connections in Norway. From 1 April next year, prices on state-subsidised flights on the short-haul network will be halved. But what about the ticket prices on the fast boats? So far, the government has not done anything about those prices. news reported in April about families with children who have to shell out several thousand kroner to travel by speedboat from the district municipality of Steigen to Bodø. This week it became clear that the county council in Nordland spends NOK 14 million a year to cut the price of the fast boats by 25 per cent. At the same time, they asked the government to pick up its share of the bill in order to further cut the price. But the county council got a partial cold shoulder from Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum. – We said that free ferries were only the beginning. Then I see that the pressure for cheaper tickets for fast boats is increasing. But it is not part of our planning now, said Vedum to news. Asked the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to map costs But is it correct? news has been given access to documents from March this year which show that the Ministry of Transport has nevertheless started work on mapping what free express boats will cost. The Træna island community is completely dependent on ferry and speedboat, and may become free in the future. Photo: TRÆNA KOMMUNE “The Ministry of Transport has asked the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which has national coordination responsibility and professional responsibility for public transport, to prepare an estimate of costs related to all boat connections being equated with ferry connections, i.e. to introduce the same arrangements for ticket prices for boats as the which is made for ferries.” To news, Lars Christiansen from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration confirms that the work on mapping the costs will be completed this week. Believe in free speedboats from 2024 Nordland is Norway’s largest boat county with 21 different speedboat routes. There, the signals about free fast boat tickets are well received. – I think it is very good if the government considers this. We are one of the largest speedboat counties and that is important to us, says deputy chairman of the county council in Nordland, Svein Øien Eggesvik (Sp). He says free speedboats in Nordland will cost around NOK 50 million a year. A sum he believes the state should be able to afford. – It is because more people live on islands with fast boat as the only option. And then it feels unfair that they have to pay full price, while those who take ferries get it for free. Eggesvik hopes that it will be possible to introduce a free speedboat from next year. – Election campaign stunt Storting representative Dagfinn Olsen (Frp) is also represented on the county council in Nordland. He thinks the government’s order to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration smacks of an election campaign. He thinks it sounds a bit hollow that the county councilor from the Center Party states that they hope to get the government on board with a further cut. Storting representative Dagfinn Olsen (Frp) thinks that the work that has been started smells like an election campaign stunt. Photo: Ola Helness / news – Of course the county council in Nordland knows that this job is taking place. We proposed in December to halve the prices of the fast boats. They voted against it. In our program presented in April, we proposed to halve speedboat prices and make it free for those island communities that have no means of transport other than speedboat. Now they are coming to meet us, but this smells like an election campaign stunt, says Olsen. – Answering questions from the Storting State Secretary Cecilie Knibe Kroglund in the Ministry of Transport claims the mapping is about answering questions from the Storting. – There have been questions about costs for all boat connections, so we asked the Norwegian Road Administration to obtain the knowledge base – It may look like the government is planning to introduce free speedboats, is that relevant? – There are many good needs that you want covered, but we are focused on keeping the promises in the Hurdal platform, which are free ferries.
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The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is working with a “secret” plan – news Nordland
