Girl removed from Vy train in Oslo after ticket confusion

A 14-year-old girl was set to attend her 6-year-old cousin’s birthday celebration on Sunday. She requested to remain anonymous, while her father, Geir Pettersen, knew she would be traveling alone from Oslo to Skien on a Vy train. Since the girl doesn’t use digital payment app Vipps, her parents decided to send her a screenshot of the QR code and receipt for her ticket, which was valid for the 20-minute journey.

However, when the girl tried to board with the screenshots, Vy staff refused to accept them as valid tickets. After her father returned home, he received a distressing call from her, stating she had been kicked off the train.

She attempted to purchase a new ticket but was told to disembark and buy one from a machine, which was impossible as she didn’t have a payment card with her. Furthermore, the family rarely travels by train, so the girl didn’t have Vy’s app installed on her phone. Geir expressed confusion as to why no follow-up questions were asked before she was removed from the train in an unfamiliar location.

Vy’s communications manager, Åge-Christoffer Lundeby, acknowledged the family’s frustration but noted that showing ticket images is a known tactic of fare evaders. He explained that factors such as the time of day, the location where passengers are disembarked, and the child’s age are considered in such situations.

Eventually, the girl was picked up by her grandfather and managed to attend the birthday party. Despite this, Geir remains critical of Vy’s handling of the incident, questioning the decision to remove a child over a ticket costing 27 NOK (approximately $2.50).