Conservative Party Announces Collective Transportation Plan - The Nordic Page

12.05.2011 - Oslo

Conservative Party Announces Collective Transportation Plan

The Conservative Party (Høyre) offers an unprecedented collective investment proposal in Norway's four largest urban regions to handle the predicted traffic congestion in the future.

Photo : Ruter.no | “What we propose is something which the government has never thought about in any document,” said Erna Solberg.

Conservative leader Erna Solberg believes there is no way around it as predictions indicate that the population of Norway's four metropolitan areas - Greater Oslo, Bergen region, Stavanger region and the Trondheim region - will increase by 30-40 percent by 2030.

- “This is why we have to think outside the box. Considering the issues of congestion and the enormous growth in large cities, the number of collective transportation alternatives must simply and significantly be increased. This cannot only be solved with more routes and new trains,” said Solberg to daily newspaper Aftenposten.

What will be included in the state budget?

The proposal suggests a separate chapter on the national budget that will contribute to the development of light-rail, urban railways and public transport routes. Over the period of time it is estimated that a subsidy of 30 - 40 billion is needed.