Traffic and public transport, Oslo | On Monday, major changes will take place on the roads:

(DT): From 6 and 7 May there will be signs along the E18 and E6 towards Oslo prohibiting electric cars from driving in the public transport lane during rush hour.

Høyre’s parliamentary representative, Trond Helleland, works in Oslo, but lives in Drammen. He fears long queues and traffic chaos when the public transport lane is closed to electric cars on Monday.

– More than 100,000 people commute in and out every day, goods transport goes into and through Oslo and many others go into our capital. Then you can’t just close the public transport field until 2027 – there will be queue chaos of all sizes, Helleland fears.

On 1 July, the Swedish Road Administration closes Ring 1 to rehabilitate two tunnels. The closure will increase traffic so much that the buses need the public transport lanes alone to get there.

The work will last for three years. Only when the work is finished will the electric cars be allowed to return to the public transport area.

Oslo municipality has chosen to do the same as the Norwegian Road Administration.

The municipality will only finish the re-signing by 1 July.

Read more about it here:

also read

The electric car ban will be even bigger: – This measure is crucial

– Monster cows

He demands that the Minister of Transport must explain how the situation is to be handled.

– This will create monster queues that will affect many, many thousands – both private individuals and businesses. The Conservative Party demands that the transport minister come to the scene, and clarify what he is going to do to prevent queues that are going to be as long as a bad year, says Helleland.

also read

Foretells three years of “carmageddon”: – Cork, chaos and increased travel times for many years

– Must be solved collectively

Earlier this week, Helleland confronted Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap).

According to Nygård, the Norwegian Road Administration has made thorough assessments of how to solve the traffic problems in advance. According to him, 100 million has been set aside for mitigation measures and 35 million for measures in the center of Oslo.

– What is envisaged is that the need for transport should be solved with public transport and that public transport should be prioritized. Of course, there will also be necessary detours and emergency solutions in connection with this measure, but it is not possible to hide the fact that such a comprehensive measure could have consequences for traffic disruption, Nygård answered in oral question time at the Storting.

also read

The bus route was supposed to compensate for the one that was closed. It is still not in operation: – I want to know

Cuts in public transport

The closure of the public transport lanes comes at the same time as Buskerud county council has had to cut public transport services due to a lack of money.

County mayor Tore Opdal Hansen (H) is worried about those who commute to Oslo.

– It is not difficult to imagine that commuting to Oslo will become even more difficult. If there had been good capacity it would have been easier. The situation is that there are already standing places in the rush and limited capacity. It will be a real challenge, predicts Hansen.

Akershus county council was not informed about the closure of public transport lanes before the press release. County Mayor Hansen says that the information did not reach him either before the press release, but he cannot rule out that others have been informed.

also read

Considered drastic closure: – We are monitoring the situation

Divided opinions

The motorists’ interest organization, NAF, also fears queues and chaos.

– We fear the closure will lead to traffic jams, chaos and increased travel times for many years to come if better arrangements are not made, writes press manager Ingunn Handagard in a press release.

Vy hopes that electric cars will never be allowed to return to public transport.

– For several years, our drivers have reported back that accessibility in the public transport sector has gradually deteriorated as the share of electric cars has increased, Vygruppen AS’s communications manager, Åge-Christoffer Lundeby, has previously stated.