Record numbers of Norwegians are riding public transport in the Oslo metropolitan area, according to the annual report of transit agency Ruter. The number of actual rides on the area’s bus, tram and metro system increased by 10 million last year.
Ruter reported a total of 319 million rides last year, up 3.4 percent from 2013 and from 244 million rides when Ruter was established in 2008. The majority travel by bus, with bus rides accounting for nearly half of all rides on the public transit system. The metro (T-bane) the tram (trikken) carried the remainder.
Newspaper Dagsavisen reported that the Oslo area’s metro system, which has been upgraded in recent years with routes restored west of Oslo to Kolsås, is approaching capacity because the tunnels it uses under Oslo can’t handle more trains. Passengers are also often squeezed onto trams and buses during the rush hours, despite relatively high ticket prices.
Ruter is a publicly owned company responsible for public transport in Oslo and Akershus. The City of Oslo owns 60 percent of Ruter and Akershus County owns 40 percent.
newsinenglish.no staff
