Bergen is the only city in Norway with electric trolley buses, but buses have for several years been under threat of closure. It costs namely more conducting line 2 with trolley buses than it would with diesel buses.
Today’s agreement on trolley buses expires January 1st, and the county council will therefore fall determine the fate of the distinctive, environmentally friendly buses. Thursday was county executive man setting, and everything now indicates that line 2 is rescued – and perhaps expanded.
– The county will focus on the trolley bus after 1 January. This is a great victory, says Alf Helge Greaker (L) vice chairman of the transport committee.
Investing 2020
The setting, as it probably gets majority, is as follows:
Electric buses should play a central role in Bergen in the future, to provide the lowest possible emissions from buses. The county would therefore continued commitment to trolley bus operation in Bergen. It makes way for the operation of trolley bus at current levels for the period from 01.01.15 until new tender contract for Bergen is put into operation (2018, 2019 or 2020).
– We have fought long and trolley bus has strangely enough been threatened with closure several times. But now expends and the Liberals will follow up the measures in the budget, says Greaker.
The proposed resolution also states that the County Administration will investigate an extension of trolleybus line to Sædalen. There, neighborhood associations asked to trolleybus, to improve public transport in the new town.
– Although I would have liked more legs, this is a good start, says Greaker.
– Embarrassing little commitment
Tom Skauge (SW) is critical to the proposal from the County Administration.
– Of course it is good news that he will keep the line 2 and this eco-friendly technology unique in Scandinavia. But he has no ambition to adopt this technology further. In the previous meeting of the transport committee, we had a visit from an expert from Sweden, who stated that the trolleybus is the most sustainable technology, along with new buses on biodiesel. Then it’s embarrassing that the County Administration does not have bigger ambitions, says Skauge.
He thinks trolleybus line should be extended to Oasis.
– Løvstakktunnelen is already designed and ready for trolley buses. We must invest in this technology, or lay it down. Now we do neither, he said.
Today there are only six trolleybuses in the bus park. And when one of them fails, there are only two technicians with expertise in trolley buses.
– There is insufficient environment that we can maintain a good operation. We should buy more buses, and connected it with Bybanen people, who have expertise in electric motors, says Skauge.
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