Traffic chaos, parking problems and littering are topics that have been debated in Geiranger this summer. Because the hordes of tourists who come are not unproblematic. Kenneth Løken runs a restaurant in the village and is one of the 200 or so who live there all year round. He is completely dependent on the tourists, but is also upset about the traffic they bring with them. Kenneth Løken runs a restaurant in Geiranger and is concerned that the traffic situation in the village must be addressed. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news The father of the family does not dare to let the children cycle alone to the center when the tourist season is at its worst. Because there, buses and motorhomes fight over space. Now he thinks it is high time that traffic is better regulated. – I think it’s strange that someone here can stop in the middle of the road and drop people off and on. I can never imagine that being allowed either in Oslo or Ålesund, says Løken. It is crowded in Geiranger in the summer. Photo: Kåre Berge/Møre og Romsdal County Municipality Concerned about preparedness This week, Løken and other businesses met with both the municipality, the county municipality and the emergency services. Cars and buses at crossroads in Geiranger this summer. Photo: Kåre Berge/møre and Romsdal County Municipality The aim of the meeting was to find good solutions for, among other things, the traffic situation going forward. The county municipality, which owns the road down to Geiranger, has received several reports of concern this summer due to buses and cars standing at intersections. – Our concern is that the police and emergency services will not come forward when they need to. Because if it’s chaos, they won’t get there either, says Kåre Berge, construction manager in the county road department. Kåre Berge is a construction manager in the county road department in the county municipality. He has received many messages from people who have felt unsafe in the traffic in Geiranger this summer. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news Want a parking tunnel Even if everyone who met in Geiranger agreed that it is too crowded, good solutions can take time. Drastic measures are needed here, but the problem must be tackled before the next tourist season starts in a few months. The mayor believes they should be able to get a parking company and parking regulations in place before next season. He believes they should also put in place better routines for waste management. In the long term, the mayor believes that a parking tunnel should be built for both cars and buses. At the same time, he knows that the plans can be difficult to get approved. The picture shows what the parking tunnel looks like in the area planning plan that has been approved. Photo: Stranda municipality Geiranger is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means that the entire area is strictly protected. – But we have to start at one end, says Tryggestad. Jan Ove Tryggestad is mayor of Stranda and wants a solution to the traffic situation so that the situation will be better for both residents and visitors. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news – If we had gained acceptance in the UNESCO system, a process with a mountain hall could have been done in a few years, the mayor believes. – Do you believe that something like this can be achieved in a world heritage area? – I think it is the only passable way to avoid being left with a Geiranger that is marked by dissatisfaction. This picture shows the location that the municipality now thinks is most favorable for a parking tunnel. This is not the way it is approved in the plan. The municipality is now working on closer clarifications with UNESCO before they put more work into the detailed regulation. Photo: Stranda municipality Welcomes impact assessment Katrin Blomvik, director of Stiftinga Geirangerfjorden Verdsarv, believes that there are several measures that need to be put in place to solve the traffic challenges in Geiranger. She agrees that a parking tunnel can be one of them, and that it can have many positive effects for Geiranger. Katrin Blomvik is director of Stiftinga Geirangerfjord Verdsarv and is concerned that several things need to be put in place to solve the traffic problem in Geiranger. Photo: Remi Sagen / Remi Sagen At the same time, she emphasizes that it is important that all alternatives are examined, and she believes it is too early to predict what UNESCO will mean. – The only thing that is completely certain is that such measures must go through thorough impact assessments before both UNESCO and the administration can come to a conclusion, she says.
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Traffic chaos this summer – the municipality now proposes a parking tunnel in the world heritage village of Geiranger – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
