The Oslo-Akershus region recently enjoyed a 60 % increase in total public transport usage in the space of four years – and behind that success story lies Ruter, the local public transport authority.
Visitors to Oslo have long made the most of their trip by heading off to discover Norway’s famous fjords or losing themselves in nearby forests thick with fir trees. Despite those attractions, the European Club of Intermodal Regions and Cities had a completely different reason in mind when it selected the city for its fourth study visit on 18 and 19 June 2013. Indeed, in addition to its other claims to fame, the Norwegian capital and the Akershus region are also considered among the best Europe has to offer in terms of public transport.
The figures certainly tell a convincing tale, with total public transport usage rising by 60 % between 2007 and 2011 in Oslo-Akershus. In 2010, meanwhile, no fewer than 271 million separate journeys were made on public transport. As for car traffic, that has remained steady at 2004 levels, despite a 15 % increase in population over the same period.
Behind this success story lies Ruter, the local transport authority which was set up in 2008. A public company – owned 60 % by Oslo city council and 40 % by the county authority in Akershus – Ruter made a difference by developing strategies to promote public transport within the region.
Ruter’s central approach was to focus energy on its customers’ preferences, with various studies carried out to determine what mattered most for public transport users. "We realised that the most important factors for our customers are frequency and comfort, much more so than price", explained Kjersti Midttun, Ruter’s head of Traffic Planning, "we therefore decided to act accordingly."
This strategy, which took shape during the financial crisis, was facilitated by a political measure that quickly altered the public transport landscape: the toll ring. Introduced in 1990, the toll ring has served to curb car usage in the capital while raising revenue, a portion of which is dedicated to the public transport system. The percentage destined for public transport rose to 46 % in 2011, and overall this extra revenue stream has made possible a number of measures which otherwise would never have come to pass. Most notably perhaps, fare prices were reduced in the Akershus region in 2011.