Traffic, Business | Cheering for lower prices at Evenes: – Deserves celebration

From 1 April, the maximum prices for short flights in most of Norway have been halved. Evenes mayor Terje Bartholsen (AP) believes this will create a completely new everyday life in northern Norway.

– This is a revolution and an extremely important and good move by the government which helps to equalize the costs for business and the population in the districts, says Evenes mayor Terje Bartholsen.

He says that the more expensive prices for Bodø and Tromsø than Oslo were not sustainable.

With the new contract period that started on 1 April, the maximum prices on the “short-haul network” – in short, most short-haul flights – will be halved. From Evenes, the routes to Bodø, Tromsø and Andenes apply.

– A few years ago, it could cost NOK 2,100 each way for just half an hour in the air from Evenes to Bodø. Now the maximum price each way is NOK 837. To Tromsø 819. For pensioners only half, about NOK 400.

Challenges

The new routes have attracted criticism for not providing adequate facilities for travel from Bodø to Evenes, which will be a challenge for the Norwegian Armed Forces, among others.

– These are demanding questions and we are experiencing a situation where Evenes and the Evenes region have far better communication with Tromsø than with Bodø. We have to do something about that, although we are happy about good communication with Tromsø.

But it is important to celebrate the price cuts we are now experiencing, the mayor believes.

– This is a time difference. Finally, internal journeys in our part of the country are recognized as absolutely necessary public transport on a par with trains and trams in smaller counties and regions.