Transport and communication in municipalities and county authorities, 2004

NOK 38 million of the total increase in gross operating expenses was spent on provincial roads, and NOK 80 million was spent on public transport.

Gross operating expenses of about NOK 1 500 per inhabitant were spent by the "average county" in the transport and communication sector in 2004. The amount spent ranged from NOK 700 in Vestfold to NOK 3 000 in Sogn og Fjordane.

Low production

NOK 4.8 billion of the counties' total gross operating expenses was spent on the purchase of services from transport operators in 2004, a decrease of NOK 166 million from 2003. NOK 3.0 billion was spent on services from scheduled bus transport operators, compared with NOK 2.9 billion in 2003. Almost NOK 770 million was spent on suburban railways and urban tramways, a decrease of 7 per cent from 2003.

Stability in the number of passengers

Public transport carried 388 million passengers in 2004, unchanged from 2003 (excluding railway transport). There were most journeys in Oslo and fewest in Finnmark with 155 million and 3 million respectively. With regard to the number of journeys per inhabitants, Oslo was again the dominating county with 292 per inhabitant in 2004, a decline from 298 in 2003. The average figure for the country as a whole was 84, i.e. almost one journey every fourth day.

NOK 64 000 per kilometre provincial road

Nordland county had the highest gross operating expenses with NOK 210 million spent on provincial roads in 2004, an increase of about NOK 20 million from 2003. The operating expenses per kilometre of provincial road were NOK 81 000 in Nordland. The average for the country as a whole was NOK 64 000. Akershus had the highest operating expenses per kilometre of provincial road with NOK 91 000 in 2003, but the expenses were reduced to NOK 74 000 in 2004. Vestfold and Møre og Romsdal had the highest expenses in 2004 with NOK 86 000. Østfold and Hedmark had the lowest expenses with NOK 36 000 and NOK 38 000 respectively.

NOK 380 per inhabitant

Measured per inhabitant the counties' total gross operating expenses for provincial roads were NOK 380 on average in 2004. Sogn og Fjordane had the highest expenses with NOK 920, and Østfold and Akershus had the lowest expenses with NOK 140 and NOK 166 respectively.

Increase in gross investments in provincial roads

NOK 755 million was invested in provincial roads in 2004. This is an increase of NOK 11 million from 2003. The most extensive investments in 2004 took place in Møre og Romsdal with NOK 143 million.

Local roads

Municipalities' total gross operating expenses for the transport and communication sector came to NOK 3.1 billion in 2004, a decrease of about NOK 50 million from 2003. 94 per cent of these expenses were spent on local roads. Total gross investments in the road sector came to NOK 1.7 billion in 2004, the same as in 2003.

The municipalities are responsible for streetlights along national and provincial roads in addition to streetlights along local roads. NOK 477 million was spent on this in 2004, a decrease of NOK 25 million from 2003.

Almost 11 900 kilometres, or 31 per cent of the local roads, had a speed limit of 40 km/hour or less in 2004. The number of marked parking spaces along the main roads to a city was 18 900.

The figures presented in this article represent only a small part of the statistics in the transport and communication area. More information is available on http://www.ssb.no/kostra/ .

Tables:

• Table 1 The transport and communication sector. Some main- and key figures, by county. 2004