– I commute with a student friend who is also from Halden. She pays almost half of what I pay. It’s good for her, but it’s unfair. Anette Fjeld lives in Halden with her boyfriend, but is taking a master’s degree in political communication in Oslo. She commutes to the capital by train. For a student under the age of 30, a monthly pass on the Østfold railway costs NOK 2,207. Full-time student Anette is 37 years old and must pay NOK 3,678. Including a monthly ticket for the subway, she pays NOK 29,898 more each year than a student under 30. – Age should not determine whether you get a discount or not. Give all students the same offer, don’t discriminate because of age, she says. The number of students in Norway increased during the pandemic. Students over the age of 30 accounted for almost half of the increase. – The limit must be somewhere Student discount on public transport is a government scheme which aims to create good travel habits for the target group in the future. The discount applies to public transport with a county service contract and trains on presentation of identification. Anette Fjeld has a student ID, but does not receive any discounts on public transport. Photo: Anette Fjeld – The line has to be drawn somewhere, even though it may seem unfair when you put a 29-year-old up against a 31-year-old, says Olav Skinnes (Sp). Skinnes is the county councilor for transport in Viken. The county municipality organizes the public transport services Ruter, Brakar and Østfold public transport – The money we have must go to a good offer that embraces the widest possible range. The idea is that older students often have a better ability to pay than young people. Discount on single tickets only On the trains to Vy, a student discount of 25 per cent is given on single tickets. This discount is available to all students regardless of age. But the period ticket with a 40 per cent discount is only available to those under 30. For Anette, it would cost more to buy single tickets with a student discount throughout the academic year than to buy a period ticket without a student discount. Vy only gives a student discount on period tickets for students under 30 years of age. Photo: Ninnie Therese Rogne Nilsen / news The state covers a 40 per cent discount on period cards for school pupils and students under the age of 30. But the county councils and transport companies themselves have the opportunity to offer better discount schemes. – If our client, the Norwegian Railways Directorate, wants to remove that limit, they can do so. They have to cover that loss, says communications manager Åge-Christoffer Lundeby in Vy. – We have to have money in for the shop to go around. There are some restrictions set in the discount schemes. – Age discrimination – This is completely wrong. It creates a divide and discriminates against students over 30, says William Lindholm. The youth politician in Nedre Romerike Unge Høyre has, among other things, written a chronicle in VG about the topic. – In practice, it sets a time limit for when to study, he says to news. William Lindholm in Unge Høyre believes that the student discount scheme discriminates against older students as it is today. Photo: Mathias Lunde Kristoffersen / news Lindholm believes the entire student discount scheme must be changed. But as of today, neither his parent party, the Conservative Party, nor the governing parties think the same. – The Right is actually a school party that should support the students, but something is missing here. I would challenge both the parent party and not least the government to address this. But the state has no immediate plans for that, according to state secretary Tom Kalsås (Ap) in the Ministry of Transport. – As of now, there are no concrete plans to look at the scheme, it has functioned like this for 20 years now. For us, it is important to prioritize the youngest travelers and have a youth profile. This is what the government’s investment should focus on, says Kalsås to news. – Do you see that it may seem unfair to full-time students over the age of 30? – I see it, that is the challenge with such an arrangement. Somewhere you have to set a limit. It is nevertheless entirely possible for train and public transport companies to introduce schemes for those over 30 years of age. Depending on her roommate, Anette Fjeld has a tight budget, but with student loans and a roommate with income, things go smoothly while she takes her master’s degree. – I wouldn’t have had the chance to take this master’s without my partner, she says. Anette Fjeld hopes the Government will change the student discount scheme. But as of today, there are no plans for that, according to the Ministry of Transport. Photo: Mathias Lunde Kristoffersen/news She is constantly asked why she doesn’t just move to Oslo where the school is, but she thinks that would be a derailment. – Firstly, it is much more expensive to live in Oslo. In addition, we have bought a house in Halden. Should we sell just because I’m taking a master’s degree in Oslo? I don’t see the sense in that. It must then be better district policy to be a little more generous with ticket prices.
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Will have a discount for students over 30 on public transport – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
