Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2007, Page 8

14_RVK_GV_1_007_OPINION
Since the bus schedule as we know it in Reykjavík
debuted in the fall of 2005, public transportation has
been swamped with problems. Many have criticised
the new plan and claim that it doesn’t serve custom-
ers properly.
One of the reasons given for the criticism was the
increase of distance from residential areas to the bus
stops. Anyone who’s been in Iceland during the winter
can understand why these concerns were raised – it’s
easy to get terribly wet and ice cold. Senior citizens
travel by bus frequently but after the changes some
had to refrain from using public transportation since
the walking distance had simply increased too much
for them.
It’s All About Money
Prices have also been an issue; many find 280 ISK per
ride to be a little bit too much. When you are not a
frequent customer it doesn’t really serve a purpose to
buy the tickets or cards that give you a discount. Re-
gardless, one might like to visit a relative on the other
side of town or go with a couple of friends to the mall.
Going with a two friends to the mall and back will cost
1680 ISK for three persons. If you’re not a frequent
passenger this is your price. Therefore, a frequent pas-
senger buys a yellow, green or a red card that allows
unlimited rides for a certain amount of time. 5000 ISK
a month in transport money is doable for most people
and very cheap compared to owning a car.
This year saw a new problem for the company that
runs the Reykjavík bus-system, Strætó bs. The company
has financial problems and in the spring they decreased
their travel frequency to one trip per half-hour. The
reason is the fact that less people use the bus during
the summer. Schools are closed and many prefer to ride
their bikes or walk. In spite of the powerful reasoning
for the cutbacks in service, bus riders are not satisfied.
Many are leaving the bus system behind and refuse to
take the bus anymore because it doesn’t enable them
to get to work on time.
How Much Time Does One Have?
It can take a long time to travel from A to B. A good
example could be someone who lives on the Westside
of Reykjavík and works at the mall, Smáralind. The pas-
senger leaving with bus number 13 from Öldugrandi
at 07:38 in the morning will come to the major bus
stop Hlemmur at 07:51 to catch the number 2 to
Smáralind. When at Hlemmur, the traveller finds that
bus number 2 doesn’t leave until 08:16 and has to
wait for 25 minutes. The bus ride from Hlemmur to
Smáralind takes 26 minutes which puts our passenger
outside the mall at 08:46. If this person has children,
he or she could face serious problems showing up on
time after dropping them of in daycare before leaving
for work. Because of this time glitch in the schedule,
many people give up and buy cars – it simply saves
much needed time.
The fate of bus number 5 has been widely discussed
among those who care for public transportation in
Reykjavík. One of the biggest arguments for the changes
made in 2005 was that the suburban areas needed a
faster connection to other parts of the city. Therefore
the buses numbered from 1 to 6 were supposed to be
express routes serving the purpose of connecting dif-
ferent areas of Reykjavík, quickly. Their travel frequency
was 10 minutes before the half-hour rule came in effect
on June 1. The bus number 5 connects Árbær with
downtown Reykjavík. Árbær is a large suburban area
which incidentally is rather easy and quick to access
even if it’s further away than Breiðholt or Laugarnes. In
kilometres, it’s still far away and needs a proper trans-
portation plan. The number 5 that used to go straight
from Árbær to downtown Reykjavík through Miklabraut
now has altered its ways and drives Sæbraut instead.
This means that instead of passing Skeifan, Kringlan,
The University of Iceland and Landspítalinn – University
Hospital (biggest hospital in Iceland), the number five
passes the neighbourhood where IKEA used to be, the
ferry to Viðey and Laugarásbíó (a movie theatre). This
new arrangement has outraged many passengers in
Árbær because they simply don’t need to reach that
neighbourhood. Well, of course there exists people
who do, but one must realise that the hospital alone
employs roughly 4500 people. The University employs
about half of that number and one can estimate that
Skeifan and Kringlan mall share a fairly high amount
of workers. The people of Árbær cannot take the bus
to work as much as before – at least not within their
usual timeframe. The number 19 covers a little but
doesn’t drive on the main roads and thus does not
serve the connection purpose of the main lines.
The City’s Proposal
Reykjavík’s city council has proposed a new plan to at-
tract customers. Students get to ride for free and bring
their coffee to go with them. Not only will passengers
be allowed to bring coffee on the bus, but some buses
will be equipped with wireless internet connection. Then
passengers can chill with their laptops and their coffee
while they go to school or work during rush hour in
the morning – being that they have to be on the bus
for so long. Gísli Marteinn Baldursson, a member of
the city council, says in a recent interview on mbl.is
that this is to ensure comfort for passengers. Others,
mainly loud bloggers and bus passengers, say that
increasing the travel frequency, building better sheds
at bus stops around the city and lower prices would
help more. Getting to work on time, staying dry and
saving money seems to be their priority.
Coffee, Buses and Laptops: A Good Mix?
Text by Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir
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This year saw a new problem
for the company that runs the
Reykjavík bus-system, Strætó
bs. The company has financial
problems and in the spring they
decreased their travel frequen-
cy to one trip per half-hour.
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