4 National Transport Plan 2022–2033 – Overview
In the National Transport Plan 2022–2033, the Government has emphasised developing a good transport system that provides everyone freedom and opportunities, increases quality of life, contributes to value creation, protects and saves lives, and helps to improve health, the environment and the climate.
Children and young people are the users of today’s and tomorrow’s transport options. With the Children’s Transport Plan, the Government wants to ensure that children and young people can enjoy good mobility while also being safe in traffic. Long-term endeavours to reduce road accidents have yielded particularly good results for children and young people.
The Government plans for total financial framework of around NOK 1,200 billion (118 billion euro) during the plan period, of which NOK 1076 billion is provided from state funds and NOK 123 billion from road tolls. The funds will be used to develop and maintain good, forward-looking transport solutions throughout Norway.
The use of resources in individual fiscal years will be adapted to the overall profile of the national budget within the bounds that follow from the fiscal rule and the state of the Norwegian economy. Changes to budgetary freedom of action could affect both the phasing-in and implementation of the plan. This budgetary room for manoeuvre is expected to be more limited in the years to come, and measures will increasingly have to be funded within the existing economic constraints.
The level of public investments is high in Norway compared to most other countries. Investments in transport have been given particularly high priority in the past decade. Since 2003, the investment level has more than doubled measured as a proportion of the economy. This gives ample room for opportunity if the resources are spent well. The Government has implemented a number of new transport policy measures in recent years, and it is now facilitating the realisation of further gains to achieve more efficient use of public resources, in particular through optimisation and portfolio management.
It is not desirable to have a transport plan that ties the authorities to a specific use of resources and project design regardless of cost increases, new technological opportunities and changes in transport demand. During the preparation of this plan, the transport agencies have shown that there are great possibilities to get more value for money by optimising projects. The agencies will continue to optimise while the plan is implemented. At the same time, we introduce portfolio management of the investments, which means that the projects that prove most success with optimisation efforts can be implemented first. Portfolio management means that, during the plan period, the agencies can propose the order and scope of projects and measures to be implemented within the framework of the National Transport Plan 2022–2033.
This plan was developed while the coronavirus pandemic led to extensive changes in the transport sector. It is difficult to estimate how long the consequences of the pandemic will last and the shape they will take. In light of this uncertainty, a new approach to priorities and implementation through portfolio management, as described in this plan, is vital if we are to ensure making the right choices in and for the future.
The Government is now presenting an ambitious and realistic transport plan that will ensure that we are able to implement mature and good projects at the right time. In a time with major societal and technological changes, this plan facilitates predictability while also allowing for necessary flexibility by continuously assessing transport demand and financial freedom of action before decisions are made.
In addition to major investments, we will maintain the infrastructure that is already in place. Good maintenance is vital for a reliable transport service and satisfactory management of public resources.
The Government aims to:
- plan for total financial framework of around NOK 1,200 billion (118 billlion euro) during the plan period, of which NOK 1,076 billion is provided from state funds and NOK 123 billion from road tolls. The state funding breaks down as follows: NOK 510 billion for national roads, NOK 52 billion for county road grants, NOK 393 billion for the rail sector, NOK 33 billion for coastal administration, NOK 80 billion for measures in urban areas, NOK 5 billion for airports, and NOK 3 billion for initiatives across transport sectors
- invest in renewal, operation and maintenance to reduce the maintenance backlog, improve operational reliability and take account of expected climate change
- further develop infrastructure through a high investment level in large projects, railway investment packages (measures that deliver improved railway services), improvement of sections of road, landslide/rockslide protection, fairway improvements, measures in fishing ports, and grants for airport developments
- increase the State’s funding of county roads to enable the county authorities to expand housing and labour market regions and improve the conditions for commercial and industry transport.