Passengers will be able to enter buses at all doors and will not be required to show the bus driver a ticket or pass according to regulations that were approved by Iceland’s parliament before it adjourned earlier this month. Mbl.is reports that it will soon be possible to fine passengers who did not pay bus fare. The new regulations also better define the role of foreign tour bus drivers that work in Iceland on a temporary basis.
Jóhannes Svavar Rúnarsson, CEO of public transportation company Strætó, states that the regulations will be convenient for the rapid bus transit line (Borgarlína) that is in the works for Reykjavík. The vehicles operating on the line will have several doors with ticket scanners where passengers will be able to enter and pay, and paying on the platform may also be an option. While drivers will no longer be checking that passengers have paid their fares, it will be possible to fine those who don’t up to ISK 30,000 ($244/€205). An increasing number of passengers pay their fare through a pre-purchased pass or via the Strætó app.
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The regulations also limit the length of time coach drivers from the European Economic Area can work in Iceland to 10 days at one time. This regulation applies to drivers whose permit was issued abroad. The regulations are yet to be implemented.
