Free bus and metro on days of quintuple tolls

Bus sales Key Chain Bus driver BergenBus. Photo: Norway Today Media

In Oslo, and probably also in Akershus there is a majority for providing travelers with free public transport on days where high pollution leads to sharply increased toll fees.

On Wednesday night the parties in the city comission in Oslo   agreed on an arrangement similar to the one in Bergen. The political majority in Akershus County Council are also preparing to decide on the same solution, according to the newspaper VG.

– Last week it became clear that Bergen is allowed to offer free transit on such days. That’s a good thing  and this is something we want to do in Oslo as well, Chief Commissioner Raymond Johansen says.

The decision about providing free bus, tram and metro rides on the days the air pollution is extremely high, was made in connection with Oslo the upcoming next winter introducing quintupled toll fees on such days.

This means that drivers will have to pay 247 kroner to cross the toll bars between Bærum and Oslo on such days.

– I am very happy that we got the parties  of the commission to agree on this free solution.

This shows that not just the stick – but also the carrot is needed to change people’s habits in traffic when there is a need for that,  the leader of the Conservative Party’s town council group and head of transport and environment committee in Oslo, Eirik Lae Solberg, says.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today