Electric vehicles lose bus lane privileges in Trondheim, causing confusion among drivers

Electric vehicles (EVs) in Trondheim have recently lost the right to use bus lanes, which has caused confusion among drivers. On Wednesday, numerous residents received fines, with a total of 25 recorded violations. Some of those fined, facing a penalty of 8,200 Norwegian kroner, disputed the charges, claiming that the new signage is easily misunderstood.

Discussions about the unclear signs have emerged in local newspapers and on Reddit. Officials from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) have received multiple inquiries regarding the complicated nature of the signage and have suggested modifying the sign’s meaning. If approved, EVs will no longer enjoy special privileges in the bus lanes unless individual municipalities decide otherwise.

The change came this summer when it was determined that EVs would no longer be allowed in the bus lanes. Following some delays, the new signs were finally installed. However, many in Trondheim seem perplexed by the new regulations. A police district leader noted that there were cars they couldn’t stop due to limited resources.

Officials acknowledged that the sign’s wording is not well crafted. Some locals expressed understanding of the sign’s meaning due to prior media discussions, while others admitted to mistakenly driving in the wrong lane.

The Public Roads Administration has admitted that the text can be difficult to understand and is in the process of proposing a clearer sign for EV usage. Under the current structure, only certain municipalities can exempt EVs from this restriction, shifting to a system where EVs will not automatically receive special treatment unless explicitly stated by the local government.