Domestic transport, 2018

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Annual

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The domestic transport statistics contains comparable figures for developments in passenger and freight transport over time, based on data from other statistics for different modes of transport. Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics (TØI) collaborate on the calculations that form the basis of the statistics.

The statistics are mainly used for public and private transport planning and analysis. Ministries and other government agencies, research institutes and consulting firms are among the main users of the statistics.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

The domestic transport statistics was established and is maintained mainly by using other statistics as input. However, when comparing with figures published for other transport statistics, it is important to note some differences in scope and definitions.

One important source of differences when comparing with other transport statistics will likely be that the figures in the domestic transport statistics only include transport from one place in Norway to another place in Norway. The part of a transport between Norway and abroad that takes place in Norway is not included. Other transport statistics will usually either contain figures for all transport performed on Norwegian territory or all transport carried out by Norwegian-registered means of transport, regardless of whether the transport is strictly domestic or not.

Compared with the rail transport statistics, it is important to note one significant difference in the calculation of the tonnage carried. To ensure the best possible coherence between the weight calculations for the various modes of transport, the tonnage carried for railway transport in domestic transport has been adjusted to exclude the tare weight of vehicles, containers and other transport units (leaving only the weight of the transported goods with packaging). In contrast, the regular railway statistics includes the tare weight of transport units in the tonnage carried in line with the Eurostat framework for rail statistics.

Compared with the statistics for road goods transport with Norwegian lorries, it is important to note that the figures for road transport in the domestic transport statistics also include calculations for transport by vans and small lorries.

Compared with the maritime transport statistics, it is important to note that the figures for maritime transport in domestic transport excludes the transport of oil by ships from the Norwegian continental shelf to the mainland. In Domestic Transport Performances, this transport is included as a separate category in the tables.

Air transport figures are also published in the air transport statistics. Both statistics are based on data from Avinor, but there are some differences in the definition of domestic flights. Air transport figures for domestic transport performances are lower than those shown in the air transport statistics, as the figures used in domestic transport performances reflects the number of passenger journeys and not the number of terminal passengers at airports. The number of journeys differs from the number of terminal passengers in several ways: A person traveling from Alta, via Bodø, to Bergen is counted as making one journey in domestic transport performances, whereas the same person in air transport statistics is counted both when leaving from and arriving at the airports for each of the two flights.

Previously, foreign transfers were not included in the domestic air transport statistics. This implied that trips to / from abroad that began / ended with a Norwegian domestic stretch were not included as domestic transport in the statistics. However, in order to ensure the best possible consistency between the various modes of transport, the air transport figures were changed to include passengers travelling between Norwegian airports as the first or last part of a foreign journey when disseminating the statistics for 2017. The time series for passenger transport by air were updated accordingly back to and including 2007.

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The statistics comprise transport of passengers and goods on Norwegian territory only. For some categories of transport, data is collected annually. For other types of transport, data is estimated. For a few means of transport, the available information is not sufficient for making estimates. The statistics comprise transport both for hire and reward and on for own account. The driver of the vehicle is included in the passenger calculations.

Traditionally, the statistics have comprised domestic transport with Norwegian-registered vehicles only. This provided a good basis for comparing the respective modes of transport with regard to level and development over time. In recent years, however, a large proportion of goods transported along the Norwegian coast with vessels for hire or reward and on own account has been carried by ships registered in foreign ship registers (cabotage transport). Starting with the release of the 2015 statistics, the figures and tables for goods transport are published both with and without cabotage. The time series for goods transport has been revised back to 2010.

Mainly data from established statistics with minor adjustments.

The degree of estimation will vary with the availability of base data.

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As far as possible, the statistics have been made comparable between modes of transport and over the years from 1946. Missing data is estimated. If major changes are made to the statistics due to corrected / changed levels in the base data, the time series is revised back to achieve the best possible comparability over time.

In the 2012 statistics, the data source for scheduled road transport (buses and coaches) was changed. At the same time, the figures for 2010 and 2011 were revised for both passengers and passenger-kilometres using the new data source (the public transport statistics).

Up to and including 1999, the number for the bus could be obtained directly from the bus service statistics. After the bus service statistics ceased in 2000, the bus service figures in the domestic transport statistics were obtained from the KOSTRA Transport Module. However, these statistics only cover the subsidized route transport, and an add-on was calculated to compensate for the lack of coverage in KOSTRA (for the part of the non-subsidized transports that were captured by the previous forms). This was done until the statistical year 2011. The calculations became uncertain over time.

Towards the end of the 2000s, new statistics were established for, among other things, buses in the public transport statistics. After a closer assessment, among other things in the Advisory Committee on Transport Statistics, it was decided to replace the previous data source with the public transport statistics starting from the statistical year 2010. However, this lead to a downward adjustment in the production figures for the bus sector, as part of the non-scheduled bus transport is no longer included. In addition, the statistics for transport with buses and coaches in the domestic transport statistics should ideally include all transport done by buses and coaches, i.e. also the transport operated by coach tour operators (not covered by the current data sources).

As of the statistical year 2015, the basis for calculating maritime transport figures were changed, both for freight vessels along the coast (ships transporting for hire or reward and on own account) and for car ferry routes. The statistics for freight vessels were previously based on projections. However, the basis for the projections became uncertain over time. The figures for 2014 (tonnes and tonne-kilometres) were not updated with the publication for the statistical year 2014, but were set as equal to the 2013 figures pending review and update. This work took longer than expected, which delayed the publication of the statistics for 2015 to January 2017. A new time series for freight vessels was calculated back to 2010. The previous time series was closed. The car ferry routes were also revised back to 2010 based on new data from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

With the publication of the 2016 statistics, the tonnage carried for railway transport and ferry transport was adjusted to not include the tare weight of vehicles, containers and other transport units (leaving only the weight of the transported goods with packaging). This was done to ensure the best possible coherence between the weight calculations for the various modes of transport. The time series for tonnage carried and transport performances for railways and ferries were simultaneously revised back to 2010.

With the publication of the 2017 statistics, the main data source for the number of passengers and passenger-kilometres for other regular boat services was changed from the KOSTRA statistics to the public transport statistics. Consequently, the time series for other regular boat services was revised back to 2007 based on the figures from the public transport statistics. In addition, the passenger-kilometre figures for Hurtigruten, which is part of the other regular boat services, were adjusted to reflect changes in the passengers’ average length of travel in recent years.

With the publication of the 2018 statistics, the tonne-kilometre figures for sea transport for hire or reward and own account for the years 2010-2017 were revised in accordance with changes in the calculation model for distances traveled in domestic shipping. The tonne-kilometre figures for rail transport in 2016-2017 and the passenger-kilometre figures for other scheduled services in 2015-2017 were also adjusted as a result of changes in the underlying statistics.

With the publication of the 2019 statistics, the figures for passengers and passenger-kilometres for scheduled bus transport were adjusted for the years 2015-2018 due to changes in the underlying statistics. The same was the case for the 2018 figure for tonne-kilometres by rail.

As of the statistical year 2019, figures for passenger transport by train are published together for all railways in Norway, as the previous distinction between the Norwegian State Railways and other railways is no longer relevant.