According to an internal memo that Aftenposten has gained access to, the tax increase may lead to Ruter’s expenses increasing by around NOK 750 million.
The toll on liquid biofuels was introduced by the government last year.
Oslo Municipality is the largest owner in the public transport company Ruter. The company is now planning to switch from biodiesel back to fossil diesel on many buses, initially in Akershus, confirms Ruter.
The case continues during the video!
Responds to tax increases
– This is a result of the government’s blind faith in tax increases. One increases the fees and calls it green shift. Here you see the result in practice. Several other counties are in the process of doing the same as Oslo due to the large tax increases on biofuels, says the Center Party’s fiscal policy spokesman Sigbjørn Gjelsvik in a comment to NTB.
According to Gjelsvik, tax cuts on biofuels could both result in lower pump prices and emissions, and at the same time increase Norwegian value creation.
Last year, the Ruter fee cost NOK 33 million. But in a note that the law firm Kluge has written on behalf of the public transport company, it is estimated that the bill can be 23 times as large, ie around 750 million kroner.
[ Sp lover å stanse utprøving av fossilfrie soner ]
Can change the contracts
The law firm concludes that Ruter can still change the contracts with the bus companies and thus give them the opportunity to refill fossil diesel.
Neither the promise of emission-free public transport nor the revised goal of fossil-free public transport by the end of 2020 was reached, admits Environment Councilor Sirin Stav (MDG).
Oslo’s goal now is for public transport to be emission-free by 2028.
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[ Byråd overrasket over effekten av fossilfritt sentrum i Oslo ]
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