The government has had enough and has declared the end of the Russian era as we know it. By 2026, a number of measures should be taken.
- Russian time was changed after the exam
- Russian time should become more inclusive
- Possible ban on side seats and standing areas on Russian buses
- Oversight of commercial Russian actors tightened
At Sandvika Secondary School in Bærum, third-graders are counting down the days until this year's celebration begins in a month.
Funding and preparation for Russian buses began in the first year of secondary school. Others start earlier.
Russian President Mikheil Zakariasen-Nasby traveled by bus with 26 friends. In total, the group of friends spent more than NOK 2 million on the work.
– I am in favor of proposals to move rush hour and make it more inclusive. But following buses is wrong, Nasby says.
Michael Zachariassen Nasby is positive about a more inclusive Russian time, but believes that following Russian buses is a mistake.
Photo: Tom Balgard / NRK
Even before rolling started, the bus was already sold to Russian junk for next year. Nasby fears what will happen if regulations for buses are tightened.
– This will have major negative economic consequences. Zachariasen says the contract will be canceled and the money will be lost.
Fear of becoming a debt addict
Next year, Linde Cecilie Lanem will be the Russian chancellor at Sandivika.
– The usual thing is that you buy the bus in first class and sell it in second class. The bus goes through two rolls before you take off, she explains.
Linde Cecile Lanem fears her Russian bus will take a financial hit if it becomes illegal.
Photo: Tom Balgard / NRK
If the government has its way, those who invested in a bus this year that doesn't meet their future needs will find themselves drunk in a year or two and won't be able to use it.
– It's very nice. You get nothing back for what you paid and volunteered for, says Lanem.
– What kind of consequences will it have for you if buses are banned next year?
– If it could not be sold to the next batch, it would have been a huge financial loss. I am addicted to debt. “Then we lose the investment we made in our bus,” says Lanem.
Need a step-by-step introduction
Isabelle Øverby-Nosha is positive about the rule changes, but thinks they will come too soon.
Photo: Tom Balgard / NRK
Isabell Øverby-Nosha, head of Russe at Eikerli Secondary School, supports a possible ban affecting buses, but believes the government is moving too quickly.
– If you do this overnight, you'll suddenly end up with 16-year-olds who paid a lot of money and never got anything back. Then they are left on a bus they can't use, says Øverby-Nosha.
– There should be a gradual transition. Some people start planning in high school.
– I will not sign the bus contract now
Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordun has no plans to wait any longer than 2026.
Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) says changes are coming and will come within two years.
Photo: Tom Balgard / NRK
– Nordtun tells NRK that we should focus more on learning and well-being at school, and less on exclusion because it has become a Russian celebration.
– But what about the young people who have already signed contracts for the buses they will use in a few years?
– And then they'll have to revisit those contracts. He says it is not certain that the buses will be legal in the future.
– If I were drunk right now, I would be careful about entering into such contracts and would actually consider avoiding it. There will be changes to Russian time from 2026, Nordtun concludes.
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