Norwegian city makes public transport free

Stavanger is making all public transport free for residents in a bid to increase use and ease cost of living pressures on its citizens.

From today, all transport – including buses, trains and local ferries – will be free to use, with the city council setting aside NOK 200 million (US$18.5 million) to fund the scheme.

The council says the duration of the scheme will “be determined later”, and added that the funding pot will last longer if residents only collect the free tickets they “actually need and intend to use”.

Dag Mossige, Municipal Commissioner, City of Stavanger, told Cities Today: “We live in a time of rising living costs, so making public transport free is a welcome relief for people’s wallets, no doubt.

“Not worrying about the cost of getting to and from your workplace is one less worry.”

The city is also trying to drive more sustainable transport choices.

“We also needed to do something drastic to incentivise people to make the move from car to bus,” said Mossige. “We are the urban region in Norway with the lowest percentage of public transportation users, even though we have a very good public transportation system.

“We believe a lot of it has to do with culture – many homes have not just one but two cars that are used for commuting and other daily routines. We want to give people a carrot, and not just a stick, for them to actually try out our public transport – to learn how good it actually is.”

Further measures include adding more prioritised bus lanes.

“Why be stuck in a traffic jam if you can ride to work free? Sometimes even faster than using your car,” said Mossige.

Passengers will need to obtain a free ticket online through the municipality’s website, and can also register family members and “not-so digitally savvy” neighbours, the city says.

Is cost a barrier?

Norway has one of the highest median incomes in Europe, and adult monthly travel passes in Stavanger range from €54-122.

When asked if cost was keeping people off public transport, Mossige said it was difficult to gauge but the “rather massive” public response suggested that the measure will come as a relief to household budgets.

“While it is hard to say whether price is a barrier in terms of people today not using the bus [due to] the cost alone, making it free takes one cost off their back,” he said.

“For a family of four, the cost of using the bus can easily exceed NOK 15,000 annually – even with discounts already applied.”

While an exact timeframe has yet to be established, the scheme is expected to run until the end of the year.

“Our municipality has consistently posted strong annual results, which have enabled us to offer this free service,” said Stavanger Mayor, Kari Nessa Nordtun.

“We can’t predict the decisions of any new political majority after 2023.”