The router recognizes electrical bus problems throughout the year

Some electric buses in Oslo are not designed for winter weather or driving in normal summer conditions. Now the transport company in Oslo requests a response from the router.

This winter, Ruter, the public transport company that operates buses, trams and subways in eastern Norway, has had major problems.

Cold temperatures led to bus chaos in the capital last week. On Monday 8 January, 1,000 bus departures in Oslo were canceled for one day. More than 200 bus departures were canceled in Oslo and Akershus. There were cards on the buses commoditycommodityHow far a vehicle can travel on a full charge or tank of fuel – in this case it's electric buses. And it was freezing.

FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug called the bus mess “a scandal” for VG.

The Labor Party in Oslo demanded answers from the conservative city council on how this could happen.

On Wednesday, all buses in Oslo and Baram were canceled for several hours, and other areas of public transport were halted due to snow in the capital region.

However, even though the public transport company has been operating electric buses for six years – since 2018 – it was only this winter that Rutter's electric buses in particular suffered major problems.

Router Director: – Concerned about problems

The main cause of router problems are two specific contracts.

Bus deals apply in Oslo's inner city and northeast of Oslo – both run by Unibus, reports NRK.

According to Unibus, the buses are supplied from two specific sub-contractors which have had problems.

– They are using more electricity per kilometer than promised, Bernd Raiden Jensen, the managing director of the router, told the state channel.

Not just big problems in the winter, router's electric buses can also struggle all year round.

– Ryton Jensen says that Rutter is dealing with problems with the buses they bought and may continue beyond the winter.

Reedon was in touch with Rooter for an interview with Jensen, but was not available Wednesday evening. The public transport company's communications department also did not respond to VG's queries on Wednesday evening.

Oslo municipality owns the router.

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Swedish Transport Agency: – Expect the router to sort things out

– I fully understand that people react when parts of public transport fail, there is no doubt that there are areas that the router and the municipality can improve. Transport CouncilTransport CouncilA politician responsible for traffic and public transport in a municipality or city. In this case, we are talking about Marit Kristin Vea, the Transport Council in Oslo.Marit Kristine Vea (V), to VG.

In the same vein as director Ruter, he explains that problems with some buses and bus routes are that the charging capacity of electric buses is very poor and not up to the desired standard.

– I expect Rutter to solve this in the short and long term. In some ways it was not the choice of technology that led to the problems. It's a choice of bus type, says Vee.

Wednesday was the first meeting of the year at the Oslo City Council's transport committee – where Ruter had to explain the bus chaos in the capital region this winter.

– How would you intervene in this matter as a member of the city council for transport?

– I do not engage in contractual relations between two actors under private law. Wee says it's not even about which restrictions are appropriate.

Reitan Jenssen, Ruter's director, believes the problems with the buses breach the contract in Ruter's view. They did not get the offer they ordered, he says.

– Many people in and around the capital use and rely on the router's services every day, aren't they the best?

– For the City Council, one of our most important priorities is to have simple, accessible and affordable public transport services that work for residents and visitors. So, I want to assure that the router and the municipality will learn from this and ensure a better offer throughout the year, replies the transport company.