2020 has been a different year for all of us. Ruter has had to make major changes, but has also worked to keep the wheels rolling and keep an eye on our goals for the future.
We announced that Boreal Sjø AS would provide electric boats around the inner part of the Oslo Fjord as of 01 November 2021. Five newly built, electric boats will be universally designed, have panoramic views and ample space for far more passengers than today. All five electric boats will be in service by the summer of 2022.
Together with Bussanlegg AS and the municipality, Ruter started looking for solutions to maintain public transport services after a landslide took large parts of the bus facility at Kirkebygda, trapping several buses inside. With few alternatives to e.g. schools, bus transport is especially important for the inhabitants of Enebakk. In December 2020, the construction of a new facility started to restore operational dependability and functionality.
On 12 March, the government introduced the strictest and most radical interventions into Norwegian society since World War Two. Ruter quickly introduced various measures in public transport together with the other operators, such as suspending cash payments on board, closing the front door and the two front rows of seats and stepping up cleaning significantly for the sake of the passengers, drivers and crews.
Ruter began upgrading its tram and bus stops in Oslo. From March to December, 159 shelters and 135 information columns will be erected on municipal roads in the capital. The bus/tram shelters are based on customer needs, equipped with USB chargers, integrated real-time coloured display monitors and are built according to current technical specifications and requirements for universal design. They have good lighting, provide good shelter from rain and snow, a sitting bench and suitable passenger information that makes it easier for travellers to orient themselves.
In collaboration with the Municipality of Bærum, Ruter enters into a groundbreaking agreement with Tier, which means the city bike agreement around the municipality can be expanded to electric scooters and electric bicycles. The purpose of the public-public cooperation with the Municipality of Bærum is to establish comprehensive mobility services for Bærum. The picture is from when Tier launched its electric scooters with helmets in the autumn of 2020.
The boat connection between the pier at Aker Brygge and Nesoddtangen will be fully electrified. The vessels Kongen, Dronningen and later Prinsen will stop using liquefied natural gas and be rebuilt to operate on electricity, so all departures as of May 2020 will be emission-free.
Quick-charging technology in a charging tower is the first of its kind in Norway, providing power capacity equivalent to a medium-sized Norwegian municipality.
Customers started testing the new Ruter cellular application for the first time. Our customers get everything they need for their trip in one place, and Ruter will for the first time gather travel information and ticket purchases in one and the same App. We also make it possible to create a personal profile in the App. Once logged in, the customer will find customised content and information, access to tickets if they change phones, as well as access to preferences, history and personal information. The launch target is set for March 2021.
In our summer campaign for 2019, we remind you that local attractions are everywhere, often just a walk or a bike ride away. Ruter will be making small souvenirs of major and minor sights and attractions throughout our coverage zones. The ski jump at Adamstuen will get its own cup, the trawler fleet at Svartoren will have a baseball cap and the insect hotel at Sagelva will get a key ring. A total of 20 souvenirs are presented in 3D on board, outdoors and digitally.
Starting in July, the use of seats will be given priority over standing spots on our vehicles to limit face-to-face contact, following the coronavirus recommendations set by the Norwegian Directorate of Health in its updated guidelines. Warning stickers will gradually be removed from the seats so passengers can use more seats and spread more in the vehicles.
In August, the health authorities recommend using face masks on public transport, to, from and around Oslo when many people travel and it is difficult to maintain a safe distance of one meter. Ruter experiences that an obvious majority of our passengers adjusted to this quickly and follow the guidelines. Ruter’s customer surveys in January 2021 showed that almost everyone wears face masks on departures with many passengers, and that over 90% wear face masks on departures with relatively few travellers.
Specific measures are needed to accelerate the Green Shift. That is why Ruter will sign the greenwashing poster in September 2020. According to Skift and Miljøstiftelsen Zero’s definition, companies engage in greenwashing if they claim that they are concerned about diversity, but do not take any real action to address the issue in their business. The poster is a guideline inspired by the common sense rules for bloggers (Sunn fornuft) and the Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press.
Read more about how Ruter works with sustainable development.
The parties did not reach an agreement and the drivers were taken out on strike on 20 September. This led to delays and reduced services for 11 days. Ruter announced that there could be many passengers on trams, metros and boats where it will no longer be possible to maintain a safe distance between passengers. Travellers are encouraged to find alternative modes of transport, or refrain from travelling during the strike.
The parties reached an agreement and bus traffic began to run as normal
01 October.
Ruter’s 170 ticket machines within the metro network and at some hubs are used very little. More than 97% of Ruter’s customers buy tickets in other ways than at the vending machine. Ruter will therefore start phasing out the ticket machines, which will no longer be in use as of June 2021. At the same time, new card readers for travel cards will be available to customers on board the metro
As in the summer campaign, Ruter wants to continue to promote local experiences throughout the autumn. We therefore encourage people to recommend places for new benches in their favourite places. 360 applications were received and 8 new benches set up. Over 30% said that the campaign brought them out of the house on several trips this autumn. Just as many believe the campaign makes them happy about their neighbourhood, many people got a better impression of Ruter after seeing the campaign.
Starting 30 November, Ruter changed the services offered for Nesodden and in Enebakk. This was due to the pandemic and an increased need for buses for school pupils. There are far fewer passengers on departures used by business travellers compared to a normal situation, while Ruter runs about the same number of buses for school pupils as before.
Norgesbuss was awarded the contract for bus services in the districts of Søndre Nordstrand, Nordstrand and parts of Nordre Follo in the Bus Services for South Oslo Tender. This means, among other things, that 109 electric buses are on their way to Oslo south, and that almost the entire bus fleet there (96%) will be emission-free at the start of the contract in January 2022. The tender also includes extensive upgrading of the bus terminal at Rosenholm, increased safety for drivers and passengers, better timetables and more and better service buildings with toilets and break facilities for drivers. Read more about the tender here.
Ruter presented the new self-driving passenger cars that will be part of a new self-driving travel offer in Ski after New Year. The new travel offer was established between the residential area at Hebekk and Ski Station, with the aim of investigating what effect such a service can have on reducing the use of passenger cars in the area. The offer will be called Line number 529 and will initially be operated with two vehicles.
