Put several hours locked in a bus at the Norwegian border – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
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Signe Vinther was to take the bus from Copenhagen to Oslo. It became more dramatic than she had imagined.
– 23.30 we were told by the bus driver that she could not drive on since she had worked overtime. We were told that another bus would pick us up, says Vinther.
She is Danish, but has lived in Norway for over 15 years before moving back to Denmark.
This Christmas, the plan was to meet parents-in-law, boyfriends and friends in Norway.
It did not go as planned.
Test regime
Around 8 pm, the bus arrived at the Norwegian border crossing at Svinesund. There had to be all the testicles for the corona. When the answer was ready around 11pm, it turned out that of the passengers had tested positive. They were picked up by the bus, and Vinther thought the bus would continue its journey towards Oslo.
But then the drama began, neither Vinther nor the other passengers had imagined.
It was now that the bus driver said that her working day was over, locked the passengers inside the bus and disappeared.
SHOULD VISIT: Signe Vinther has lived in Norway for 15 years, but usually lives in Copenhagen. The plan was to spend Christmas in Norway, but the bus did not go quite as planned.
Photo: Private
– We were told that another bus would come and pick us up, but nothing about time, says Vinther.
After a while, people tried to get out.
– Dthere were people trying to look for buttons to get out. The only option we saw, if we absolutely had to get out, was to smash the windows with the emergency hammer on the bus.
It would not fit on the bus. Rather, they tried to knock on the windows to call attention to the few times they saw people nearby.
It gave zero response.
No information was given other than that a bus would eventually arrive from the bus company Vy.
Queue: There is a lot of queue at the border at Svinesund. The reason is that everyone who enters the country must take a corona test first.
Photo: Signe Vinther / Private
Now Vy apologizes for the whole incident.
– We will follow up what information they were given about the trip itself and what they were told about why they had to sit on the bus. We have no other representatives than our drivers present at the border crossing, and unfortunately it took time before a new bus and driver were in place, says Gina Scholz, communications manager at Vy.
According to Vy, buses have to stand in long queues like everyone else because there are strict rules on testing and registration of entry at the border.
I add that this time longer any of the passengers test positive.
– And when several tests are positive, as on this trip, it will take additional time as health professionals will also do the necessary mapping with a view to infection detection.
This time it went beyond the driving time to the driver.
That is also one of the reasons why the passengers did not get off the bus, according to Vy.
– At the same time, one did not want to work at the border crossing that these passages began to move around the area. They have a lot to keep track of from before, and do not have the opportunity for extra follow-up of travelers.
SORRY: The head of communications in Vy, Gina Scholz, apologizes for the incident. They are working to find out what happened.
Photo: Press photo
– Very unfortunate
Signe Vinther has subsequently received an e-mail in which Vy Bus4you states that they refund the ticket, and that she also receives a credit note.
The company admits to NRK that it was unfortunate that people were sitting in a bus without access to food and water.
– This is very unfortunate and we apologize to those who were sitting in the bus. We will also see that it would have been possible to get them food and water in other ways, as it was extra long to wait and they could not leave the bus, says Scholz.
