Stavanger Mayor Announces Free Public Transport for Residents

– We have received more money than we had budgeted for, and we have good financial management in our municipality, which results in us being left with a surplus that we want to give back to our citizens in the best possible way, says Kari Nessa Nordtun, mayor of Stavanger (AP) below “The Debate” on NRK.

From 1 July, buses, trains and boats will be completely free for all residents of Stavanger. The municipality announced this in a press release on Monday.

The Labor Party, Folkets Party, MDG, Rødt, Center Party and SV have agreed that Stavanger, as the first large Norwegian city, will fully finance public transport on behalf of its own residents.

The free offer makes Stavanger people cheer, while others see red.

Stavanger makes public transport completely free

I don’t think the voters will be fooled

Sylvi Listhaug, leader of the Fremskrittspartiet (Frp) is clear in her speech about what she thinks about public transport.

From 1 July, buses, trains and boats will be completely free for all residents of Stavanger for a whole year. The municipality announced this in a press release on Monday.

– I think most people watching now can agree that this is pure election fraud. Elections were held here four years ago, and this proposal is also submitted a few months before the elections. I don’t think the voters are fooled that easily.

She clarifies that public transport is a county council task.

– I am sure that there are many people watching the program now who do not get the services they deserve in Stavanger, for which the municipality is actually responsible. Whether it’s nursing home places, care for the elderly, schools, or other places where resources are actually needed.

When asked if the offer is what will ensure re-election, Nordtun replies as follows:

– We announced that this was something we wanted to do already in December last year.

We don’t need the Labor Party to choose for us

The Stavanger mayor believes that the measure is both to equalize differences and for a better climate.

– It is important that we as local politicians do everything we can to help people in the situation we now find ourselves in, where everything is becoming more expensive. There are many people who depend on traveling by bus, and we see that it is those with lower finances who make use of the bus service in Stavanger.

– Quite special

– It is quite special that one decides as if from a bolt out of the blue to spend so many hundreds of millions of kroner without investigating the consequences. It’s no wonder it gets national attention, says Sissel Knutsen Hegdal, mayoral candidate in Stavanger (H).

Like Listhaug, she agrees that free public transport is not the way to go.

– We want to prioritize the important tasks first. We believe that there are more important things that must be prioritized.

Survey: Women vote to a greater extent on the left

– So you vote no, asks presenter Fredrik Solvang.

– We vote for a better public transport service. A public transport service that is reliable and affordable, but not free.

Hegdal also wants to give back to the residents.

– We want the residents themselves to be able to dispose of their income, and choose whether they want to buy bus tickets, dental health or other offers, she says.