OPINIONS: Herman Ekle Lund
Group leader, Drammen Venstre
OPINIONS: This year’s presentation of the National Transport Plan 22.03 created, as usual, both disappointment and excitement around the country. We in Venstre believe that Drammen has reason for optimism, as the new NTP sets out to take us a big step closer to the solution to our supremely important local transport challenge: Making drastic cuts in car traffic, so that air pollution and emissions go down.
This must be done through a combination of carrot and stick: that it becomes easier and cheaper to take public transport, cycle and walk, while at the same time it becomes less attractive to drive when you don’t have to.
We understand the text in NTP as a clear invitation to negotiate about Buskerudbyen’s innovative proposal for an urban growth agreement: An agreement without tolls, but which also does not contain road projects. In other words, the state only stimulates the “carrot”, but without using the “whip” – provided that we locally manage to handle the whip ourselves.
We in the Liberal Party have been careful skeptical about this alternative “Buskerudbypakke 3” since we started discussing it in 2020; but only because we did not believe that the state would accept such a solution without tolls. We did not think they would see it as realistic that we were able to reduce car traffic without collecting money as a means of reducing traffic. We have nevertheless voted for the proposal all the way through, and when the state now apparently wants to open negotiations on this solution anyway, we applaud it and will be a constructive partner.
However, this will first require tough local discipline to reduce car traffic with other measures. If we fail to show it, then this unique negotiation opportunity will 100% certainly fall through the cracks. Then not only is the risk high that the “free solution” with reward funds we have had will fall away, but the road will probably also be a dangerous short to state coercion to overcome air quality. As you know, we have become the second worst in the country for air pollution, and the national patience cannot possibly extend very much longer if Drammen does not soon show local will and energy. In such a forced situation, Drammen will not be in the driver’s seat for designing measures, and it will probably be much more invasive than if we grab this invitation we have now received with both hands.
Therefore we need now that a responsible cross-party majority in the municipal council sits down, is constructive and makes a compromise that puts us in a position to negotiate this urban growth agreement without tolls.
Such a majority must agree about a parking policy that does not make it more, but less, attractive to park in the center of Drammen. We must reverse this year’s adopted cut in cycle paths back to continuation of the 2023 level, or exceed this. We must speed up the municipal sub-plan for mobility on Strømsø (which we have just adopted) and that the measures proposed here to close and downgrade streets for car traffic are actually carried out – and similar planning work should also be initiated for other burdened parts of the municipality. We must rally behind a route solution that makes the “superbus” to the hospital really possible, we must give full support to the pilot to test out the ferry, and we should look with open eyes at all other good ideas that can move the traffic.
At the same time, of course The government gives us a helping hand already now in the Revised state budget by strengthening Buskerud so that we avoid the planned cuts in public transport. We in Venstre completely agree with mayor Kjell Arne Hermansen that we cannot get anything done by whining, complaining and pointing at others. We must cooperate.
The left are therefore ready to talk to parties of all colors about a long-term compromise to solve these problems. It is important that this happens now – before local elections are made that destroy the unique opportunity we have now been given. Our phones are on – just call, Kjell Arne!
Of
Herman Ekle Lund
Group leader, Drammen Venstre
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