– We have built up valuable expertise over the years. Now it can disappear. County director Rune Haugsdal says he has no choice. After the city council in Bergen went for new reports on the light rail towards Åsane, 16 years of building the light rail has stopped. Haugsdal says they are now working together with the union representatives to drastically scale down the organization that has been responsible for planning and construction. – We hope to be able to keep a couple of key personnel. But there is no doubt that we will lose people we will badly need. We still believe that one day we will build a track to the north, he says. The employees were briefed at a meeting a week and a half ago. The county director says that after the summer they will be able to present what is left of Bybanen Utbygging. And that the organization will be wound up completely if there is no immediate clarification on how the politicians in the city will build the road to Åsane. County director Rune Haugsdal fears future development of the light rail. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Political turnaround It has been a goal to have a continuous development of light rail in Bergen. The burning question of whether it should get past Bryggen meant that line 2 was built to Fyllingsdalen instead of to Åsane. Then the route was approved on the outside of the Bryggen, before the newly elected Høgre City Council abandoned its own election promise and went for a new report on the tunnel. A new analysis of a tunnel solution through the city center is now being carried out. It should be completed during the next year. With that, construction has stopped. Most of the around 30 employees in the development company will lose their jobs. The stop at Skjold was put into use in construction stage 2 in 2013. Photo: Bergit Sønstebø Svendseid – Kritisk Nyheita creates reactions in the political environment in Bergen. – This is the result of Høgre’s breach of promise. It is devastating for urban development in Bergen, says Rune Bakervik from the Labor Party. Rune Bakervik in Ap puts all the blame on Høgre. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news – It is critical. One of the success factors for Bybanen is expertise. The track has created international attention, and expertise is decisive, says Per Arne Larsen (V). – That the city council manages to stop the process is incredibly sad. We do not know if we will be able to get this competence back. This put all further light rail development in jeopardy. It is sad for our city, he says. Thor Haakon Bakke (MDG) also criticizes the city council. – Now that the city council has sabotaged the line to Åsane, they must build to Spelhaugen in Fyllingsdalen as soon as possible. The money and the plan are ready, and that will ensure continuous development and activity until the next election, he says. Bakervik denies that the government is to blame for Bybanen Utbygging now being marginalized. – On the contrary, NTP says that the money will come when the politicians in Bergen have agreed. So the city council must take this on itself. Debts on the government City Development Council Christine Kahrs (H) does not agree that this is the city council’s fault. She points out that they have proposed to start construction elsewhere while they agree on where the line should go in the city centre. – It is sad that Bybanen Utbygging is being demolished. But the government could have avoided this if they had allowed money in the national transport plan. Kahrs guarantees that a light rail will be built to Åsane. But will not take a position on how devastating it is that expertise disappears. Bakervik denies that the government is to blame for Bybanen Utbygging now being marginalized. – On the contrary, NTP says that the money will come when the politicians in Bergen have agreed. So the city council must take this on itself. Christine Kahrs puts the blame on the government. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Published 24.06.2024, at 12.07 Updated 24.06.2024, at 15.34
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Victory over employees in Bybanen Utbygging – news Vestland
