Transport and communication in municipalities and county authorities, 2009

Considerable growth in gross operating expenses in 2009

Of the counties’ total expenses in the transport and communication sector, NOK 9 billion was spent on commercial modes of transport; an increase of NOK 0.8 billion or 10.5 per cent compared to 2008. The expenditures on provincial roads had an equivalent percentual growth as the commercial modes of transport, to NOK 2.3 billion in 2009.

Comprehensive variation in gross operating expenses between the counties

A gross operating expense of NOK 2 350 per inhabitant was spent by the “average county” in the transport and communication sector in 2009. This was an increase of NOK 700 compared to 2005. The span was from NOK 1 100 in Vestfold to NOK 4 300 in Sogn og Fjordane.

NOK 85 000 per kilometre provincial road

There were a total of 27 300 kilometres of provincial roads in 2009. The “average county” spent NOK 85 000 in maintaining these roads in 2009, or about NOK 8 000 more compared to 2008. The corresponding average amount spent on provincial roads in 2005 was NOK 65 000. NOK 190 million made up the operating expenses per kilometre of provincial road in both Nordland and Rogaland in 2009. Hedmark was at the other end of the scale with only NOK 48 000 in operating expenses per kilometre of provincial road in 2009.

More than 80 per cent of investments used on provincial roads

Of a total gross amount of NOK 1.8 billion invested in the transport and communication sector, more than 80 per cent or NOK 1.5 billion was invested in provincial roads in 2009. This was an increase from 2008 of NOK 244 million. The most extensive investments in 2009 were made in Troms with NOK 195 million to provincial roads; an increase of NOK 45 million compared to 2008.

Local roads

The total gross operating expenses in all municipalities in the transport and communication sector constituted NOK 6.1 billion in 2009; an increase of about NOK 485 million from 2008. Seventy-eight per cent of these expenses, or NOK 4.7 billion, was spent on the local roads. The total operating investments in the road sector came to NOK 3.0 billion in 2009. This was a decrease from 2008 with NOK 135 million.

The municipalities are responsible for the street lightning along the national and provincial roads in addition to the street lighting along the local roads. NOK 568 million was spent on lighting on these roads in 2009; an increase in expenditure of NOK 31 million from 2008.

The figures in this article represent only a small contribution of the statistics in the area of transport and communication statistics. More details can be found on http://www.ssb.no/kostra .