Approved on 16.06.2010 by the Ministry of Transport and Communications under the provisions of § 33 of the Professional Transport Act (yrkestransportlova) and §§ 7 and 7a of the Railways Act (jernbaneloven).
Chapter 1 – Passengers
§ 1 To whom do the regulations apply
These Transport Regulations constitute an agreement between Hordaland Country Authority/Skyss and individual passengers. Any party being conveyed by bus or tram operated under contract for Hordaland Country Authority/Skyss may be regarded as a passenger. The Transport Regulations also apply to all parties waiting at associated terminals/bus and tram stops or station areas.
§ 2 Boarding and alighting/movement in station areas
2a) For buses: Where the authorities have designated bus stops, boarding and alighting should take place at such locations. In exceptional circumstances, buses may stop at locations other than authorised bus stops where it is safe to do so and when this is in accordance with traffic regulations.
2b) For Bergen Light Rail: Boarding or alighting is not permitted while the tram is in motion or has stopped briefly outside a station, at a passing loop, is waiting at a signal, or similar. Neither is it permitted to open exit doors while the tram is in motion or when the tram stops outside a station. It is forbidden to walk along tram lines and/or cross tram lines at any location not dedicated to the public for such purposes. In addition, the use of skateboards and roller skates is forbidden in station areas.
Chapter 2 – Travel documents and ticket inspection
§ 3 Travel documents
The right to travel is granted upon purchase of a travel product in accordance with the prevailing fare scale and price list. On buses, a travel product should be purchased and validated/shown to the driver upon boarding, unless a payment scheme has been otherwise specifically agreed. For Bergen Light Rail, the travel product should be purchased prior to boarding and validated upon boarding. It is the responsibility of individual passengers to ensure that they have received the correct travel document and the correct amount of change. Any complaints about a travel document or an incorrect amount of change must be made immediately.
The travel document should be kept throughout the journey and should be shown to the driver or ticket inspector upon request. A passenger’s responsibility to be in possession of a valid travel document will be waived in the event that it is not possible, for technical reasons, to obtain a valid travel product. The definition of a valid travel document may be found by referring to the prevailing fare and product regulations.
§ 4 Inspection of travel documents and penalty fares
A ticket inspector is entitled to inspect travel documents. Such inspections may be carried out by both uniformed and plainclothes personnel. Ticket inspection personnel are under a statutory obligation to provide proof of identity.
Passengers unable to produce a valid travel document when requested to do so will be liable to pay a penalty fare of NOK 750. The penalty fare also applies to minors who have reached the age of 15 years.
Penalty fares may be paid with a credit card (Bankaxept, Visa/Mastercard/Diners) or by cash. If the penalty fare is paid, passengers are entitled to continue their journey. Passengers unable to pay the penalty fare at the time of issue will not be entitled to continue their journey and will be additionally liable to pay an administration fee of NOK 100. Passengers who refuse to pay the penalty fare may be reported to the police, cf. § 403 of the Penal Code.
Any travel document that is misused or that a passenger has attempted to misuse will be cancelled and may be confiscated by the driver or ticket inspector upon issuance of a receipt. Falsification of a travel product will result in a fine of NOK 1,500 and may also be reported to the police as document forgery.
§ 5 Penalty fare – deferred payment
Passengers unable to produce a valid travel document when requested to do so and who neither pay the penalty fare at the time of issue will be obliged to provide their correct name, address, date of birth and then await verification of their identity in order to enable Hordaland County Authority/Skyss to recover the penalty fare at a later date.
§ 6 Detaining passengers not in possession of a valid travel document
Skyss’ ticket inspectors are entitled to detain any passengers who
- are unable to produce a valid travel document
- do not pay the penalty fare at the time of issue, and
- do not provide a correct name, address and date of birth
Such passengers may be detained until they have provided a correct name, address and date of birth. Such passengers may also be detained pending verification of the personal information they provided. Passengers who choose, after all, to pay a penalty fare will not be further detained. Neither will passengers be detained if, under the circumstances, such detention would constitute an unreasonable intervention. Persons below the age of 15 years may only be detained in consultation with the police.
Chapter 3 – Conduct
§ 7 Conduct
Passengers are obliged to show consideration to other passengers and conduct themselves in accordance with ordinary rules of safety. Passengers are not permitted to disturb the driver. Seat belts and other safety equipment should be used when fitted.
Passengers must not position themselves in such a way as to obstruct the driver’s view. On vehicles fitted with automatic doors, passengers must not stand in such a way as to obstruct the opening/closing of these doors.
It is dangerous and strictly forbidden for passengers to open doors or attempt to board or alight from a vehicle while it is in motion, or to attempt to board or alight from a vehicle which makes an unscheduled stop outside of a bus or tram stop/station.
§ 8 Smoking and the use of alcohol/drugs
Smoking and the consumption of alcohol or other intoxicating substances on the vehicle is strictly forbidden. Any breach of this regulation will result in removal from the vehicle.
§ 9 Disorderly conduct
The driver or another member of staff may refuse entry to any passenger who appears to be under the influence of alcohol/drugs or who behaves in a manner likely to cause a nuisance or discomfort to other passengers. Passengers who behave improperly, or who in some other way cause a nuisance to other passengers, may be removed from the vehicle and/or terminal/bus stop/station area.
§ 10 Passenger liability
Passengers will be liable to pay compensation for any damage they cause to a vehicle or its fixtures and fittings, in accordance with ordinary rules governing damages.
Chapter 4 – Luggage
§ 11 Hand luggage
Each passenger may carry free of charge light, easy-to-handle items (hand luggage) weighing up to 20 kg. Luggage must be placed out of the way of other passengers and should not obstruct the vehicle's entrance/exit areas. Inflammable and explosive substances or any other luggage representing a safety hazard or a nuisance to other passengers may not be carried on the vehicle. Weapons may be carried in accordance with the prevailing regulations of the Firearms Act (våpenloven).
§ 12 Prams and bicycles
Prams may be carried where there is available space and should be placed where indicated by either a sign, the driver or another member of staff.
Bicycles may be carried as long as there is available space and it is otherwise safe to do so. Bicycles that are foldable or collapsible may be placed in the vehicle’s luggage compartment. In all cases, the carrier's personnel will determine whether sufficient space is available.
§ 13 Animals
The carrier is under no obligation to convey live animals apart from guide dogs and police dogs. An animal may be conveyed if there is sufficient space in the vehicle and the animal does not cause a nuisance to other passengers. The animal should be secured by a lead or placed in a cage during transportation and must not obstruct the free passage of other passengers. Animals that are aggressive or cause a nuisance to other passengers may be removed during transit.
§ 14 Luggage charges
The prevailing fares and product regulations determine which type of luggage a passenger must pay for.
§ 15 Liability and compensation for loss of, or damage to, baggage
All items, including animals, are carried at the passenger’s own risk. Skis, prams and similar items must be held or placed in such a way that they do not fall over.
The carrier is not liable for any loss of, or damage to, prams or other items being conveyed as hand luggage in accordance with § 11, unless negligence on the part of the carrier’s staff can be proven. Otherwise, the carrier’s liability in respect of bus travel is regulated by the Automobile Liability Act (bilansvarsloven) of 3rd February 1961 and the Act on Liability for Railways (jernbaneansvarsloven) of 10th June 1977, no. 73, as far as Bergen Light Rail is concerned.
Any claim for compensation arising from loss of, or damage to, luggage must be submitted within a reasonable amount of time.
§ 16 Lost property
Any item left on a bus or tram should be handed over to a member of staff as soon as possible. Lost property will be stored by the carrier or by Skyss for three months. If the owner has not claimed the lost property within this period, the carrier or Skyss may sell the item and also determine how any income resulting from the sale of the item is to be used.
Chapter 5 – Liability and compensation
§ 17 Skyss’ liability in the event of delays and cancellations
Skyss will endeavour, as far as is reasonably possible, to inform passengers about cancellations, delays and other operational matters affecting services.
In the event that a service is delayed, cancelled or interrupted enroute, the carrier should endeavour, based on the given circumstances, to provide an alternative means of transport within a reasonable period of time. The definition of a reasonable period of time must be determined by each individual incident.
In the event that an alternative means of transport cannot be made available or is not made available within a reasonable period of time, and the reason for the delay or cancellation is within Skyss’ control, passengers are entitled to claim compensation for expenses relating to alternative means of transport in accordance with the following rates:
- journeys less than 1 hour: up to NOK 500
- journeys between 1 and 3 hours: up to NOK 750
- journeys over 3 hours: up to NOK 1,000
For journeys of more than 3 hours, where the delay would result in passengers not arriving at their destination before the following day, passengers are entitled to claim actual expenses for overnight accommodation.
Chapter 6 – Complaints
§ 18 Complaints
Any complaints about Skyss, the bus operator, a staff member, or cancellation of a service must be directed to Skyss. This also applies to complaints about penalty fares and suspended travel documents in accordance with § 4.
Passengers may contact Skyss through the contact form on Skyss’ website or via regular post to the following address: Postboks 7900, 5020 Bergen.