Government: Toilets must be placed at a maximum of one-hour intervals along Norwegian highways
The Norwegian government has decided that rest areas with toilets, rubbish bins, and outdoor furniture must be placed at a maximum of one-hour intervals along Norwegian national roads.
In line with the Granavold political platform, the government has adopted a new strategy for picnic areas.
The current 700 rest sites will be reduced to 150 main rest areas of a much better standard along the national roads.
According to Minister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide, they will be available for all types of vehicles throughout the year.
“The needs for a toilet visit or a 15-minute nap have been experienced by many on trips around the country.
“There will be a maximum of one hour’s drive between the large rest areas,” the Minister of Transport and Communications noted in a press release.
Minimum requirements
Toilets, outdoor furniture, and bins will be minimum requirements, while some picnic areas will be even better equipped.
“In order to get the most for your money, we have advocated that the minimum requirements should be the main rule for standard choices.
“Increased standards should only be chosen where there is a lot of traffic, so that we get a lot for the money we spend,” Hareide said.
At the same time, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration will facilitate the establishment of electric car chargers.
However, private actors will have to build charging stations. That is how the government plans to achieve its goal of halving emissions from the transport sector.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
