Already in the first summer week, records were broken mainly through Lofoten. In May, open a direct flight route from Frankfurt. Two more will now be opened from Zurich and Paris. All the arrows point in one direction: more tourists will come. – Vegans are not sized for the traffic we have received in recent years, is now my claim. That’s according to Lars Ottemo Gärtner, fire chief and coordinator for emergency preparedness in Vågan municipality. He points to the fire truck behind him, which is two and a half meters wide. Because when these cars are on call, they struggle to get past the tourists. – Often seconds and minutes can count, so we want it to go as quickly as possible. Lars Ottemo Gärtner welcomes the tourists, but urges people to be more careful in traffic. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news Don’t miss the emergency department Gärtner describes a recent and difficult case on the way to Fiskebøl in Lofoten. – There were a lot of vehicles that didn’t respond to us when we came up behind, which made it difficult to get past when we were driving emergency, we didn’t get the free way that we normally require. Although all seasons have their challenges, this season can be extra demanding in terms of traffic. – The increasing motor vehicle traffic and cycle tourism mean that things are a little slower for vegans and the cars are more difficult to move. Both caravans and rental cars have already taken vegans in Lofoten and the surrounding area. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news In traffic, there are usually two types of vehicles that stand out when it comes to moving for emergency services: RVs and rental cars. And most of the vegans in Lofoten do not have two lanes with a dedicated median strip in the middle. – If you have rented a campervan and think it’s scary, and you’re lying in the middle of the road, then it’s impossible to get past with a car like the one you see behind me here, says Gärtner. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news Different driving culture – calls for measures Sometimes there can be sunlight which means that people do not see the blue light as well. He understands that. But also driving culture, how people are trained to drive in other countries and what respect one has for blue lights and emergency alerts come into play. – Of course, one might also think that vegans are narrow-minded here, and that it is not so easy to give way to us, says Gärtner. He emphasizes that tourism is good, but most things have a pain threshold. – It is quite clear that we wish there were better conditions. The island group is characterized by narrow and winding roads, similar to many county roads in northern Norway. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen The fire service now wants motorists to pay better attention and make arrangements so that the emergency services can pass by. Emergency driving is probably risky in itself. – We would like them to follow in the mirrors, and when possible to let us pass. In any case, that they signal with their flashing lights that they have seen us and slow down, so that we can reduce the time we have to stay in the opposite lane. Rental car companies: – Abnormally large influx Car rental companies are also noticing a greater influx than before. Marketing manager of the car sharing service Getaround, Lotte Børnick Sørhaug, says the market is boiling. Large parts of their car fleet are leased. – It’s scorching hot there. It is very clear to us that many people will decide to go on holiday to Norway and Norwegian roads this summer. We are unusually busy. Børnick Sørhaug highlights the direct routes from European cities to both Bodø, Evenes and Tromsø. Then it is right to the car hire companies for many who are going on a road trip to Lofoten in particular. Photo: Hanna Huglen Revheim / news The request applies throughout the country. In total, demand has increased by over 40 per cent in the coming summer months, compared to the same period last year, according to the market manager. Half of the tenants are foreign tourists. France, the USA and Germany top the list. A recent survey carried out by Norstat for news shows that far more than half of Norwegians surveyed plan to holiday in Norway. As many as 7 out of 10 Norwegians will stay in the country. In Lofoten, the first pool of tourists has already arrived. Head of tourism Line Renate Samuelsen in Visit Lofoten has advocated stricter regulations, such as in Denmark, where it is not allowed to park campervans outside a regulated campsite, in order to contribute to better traffic safety. Not much space to spread out when the fire engine travels in Lofoten. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news The municipal director of Vågan in Lofoten, Tommy Stensvik, also says that they will put more parking spaces in place in Henningsvær, a favorite holiday destination for many who go to Lofoten. The municipality is also looking at the possibilities of getting a footpath into Henningsvær from Festvåg. – It is to make things easier for those who want to visit Lofoten and Henningsvær in particular, we are now trying to make things easier for road users so that safety is taken care of, says Stensvik. Want to introduce measures news has asked the car-sharing service Getaround about what they think about emergency services not getting past tourists in RVs and rental cars. – It is of course extremely serious. I see that tourism is increasing quite strongly up there and that it is something that the region initially wanted, I hope that all the actors involved try to make arrangements as well as possible so that together we manage to welcome all the tourists who come, says Børnick Sørhaug. Summer-clad tourists, this time along the quay in Svolvær. Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / news After being confronted with the problem, she says that they now want to take measures to contribute to better traffic safety. – There are things we can do. Our landlords are generally quite good at giving tenants some information about what rules apply, how to pay for parking and tolls. But I think they have probably spent less time talking about this very thing that in the end it is poorly presented. That is why they will now send out information to foreign tourists who will drive on the narrow vegans, and who rent a car especially from Evenes and Bodø. – And ask them to respect the surroundings, follow the traffic and especially be attentive to emergency vehicles because it can be difficult to get past. Photo: news How to do it Published 15.06.2024, at 20.56
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Tourists don’t miss the emergency reports – news Nordland
