All ferry trips on routes with less than 100,000 passengers will be free from July 1. The Minister of Finance believes the change could make small coastal communities more attractive.
In the revised national budget, the government is setting aside NOK 39 million for cuts in ferry costs.
In this year’s budget, NOK 30 million has already been set aside to make the smallest ferry connections free of charge. On a full-year basis, it would cost NOK 165 million to fulfill the government’s promise, according to the Ministry of Finance.
According to figures from Ferjedatabanken that Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has reviewed, in 2019, there were over 30 connections with less than 100,000 passengers in Norway.
In the Hurdal platform, the government also promised to “introduce a scheme with a free ferry for islands and other communities without a road connection to the mainland.”
Finance Minister Vedum noted that the government aims to reduce all ferry prices by 50% and that the shift will take place gradually.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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