Oslo city politicians have been ruthlessly cracking down on the use of private cars in the Norwegian capital by hiking tolls into town, removing parking spaces, raising the fees of what parking is left and closing entire streets to vehicular traffic. Members of Parliament, however, aren’t giving up their parking privileges in the underground garage at Stortinget.
The office of the president at the venerable institution won’t support a proposal from the Socialist Left party (SV) to at least force MPs to pay for their parking. MPs from out of town had complained that they come from areas where there is no public transport option, and that they rely on their cars to get around.
Others argued that forcing them to pay for parking would only result in them seeking reimbursement or tax deductions for the cost. Parliamentary officials also claimed that MPs needed their cars, and safe parking for them, as a matter of security.
City politicians, meanwhile, have been all but forced to give up their free parking privileges at Oslo’s City Hall after making life difficult for other motorists. There’s even talk of turning the garage under City Hall into parking for bicycles only.
newsinenglish.no staff
