Jon-Ivar Nygård

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Jon-Ivar Nygård
Minister of Transport
Assumed office
14 October 2021
Prime MinisterJonas Gahr Støre
Preceded byKnut Arild Hareide
Member of the Storting
Assumed office
1 October 2021
DeputySolveig Vitanza
ConstituencyØstfold
Deputy Member of the Storting
In office
1 October 2013 – 30 September 2017
ConstituencyØstfold
Mayor of Fredrikstad
In office
20 October 2011 – 21 October 2021
DeputyKari Agerup
Siri Martinsen
Preceded byEva Kristin Andersen
Succeeded bySiri Martinsen
Personal details
Born (1973-01-02) 2 January 1973 (age 51)
Borge, Østfold, Norway
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Anne Gro Bjerknes
​
(m. 2023)​
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Oslo
OccupationPolitician

Jon-Ivar Nygård (born 2 January 1973) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He has served as minister of transport since 2021. He previously served as the mayor of Fredrikstad from 2011 to 2021.

Early and personal life

Born in

cand.mag. from the University of Oslo in 1998.[1] He lives with his partner, Anne Gro Bjerknes, and has three children from a previous relationship.[2] He and Bjerknes married in January 2023.[3]

Political career

Local politics

He was member of the municipal council of Fredrikstad since 1993, and served as mayor of Fredrikstad from 2011 to 2021.[1][4]

Parliament

Having previously been a deputy representative from 2013 to 2017,[5] Nygård was elected representative to the Storting from the constituency of Østfold for the period 2021–2025, for the Labour Party.[6] While part of the government from October 2021, Solveig Vitanza met in the Storting in his place.[5]

Minister of Transport

On 14 October 2021, Nygård was appointed minister of transport in Jonas Gahr Støre's cabinet.[7]

2021

Nygård announced that he wants an end to tenders for Norwegian train routes, and allocate routes directly to

SJ, would keep their contracts until they expire.[8]

In November, Nygård announced that the government would not cancel future construction of planned motorways, while also reiterating an increased focus on railways, notably InterCity.[9]

On 15 November, Nygård and

SAS Norway, Kjetil Håbjørg, regarding the ongoing conflict with its staff. As a solution, Nygård was set to present the government's new aviation strategy, commenting: "We will create an aviation strategy, and Norwegian wage and working conditions will be important. It is about getting a good overview of how this is in the industry and having good control mechanisms".[10]

In a press release on 8 December, it was announced that the government would expand the compensation scheme for train companies and commercial bus and ferry routes. Nygård stated: "The pandemic has not developed as we had hoped. New national measures have now been introduced to limit the spread of infection in society. We therefore expect that fewer travelers will use public transport. The government is therefore in favour of compensating train companies and commercial bus and boat routes for reduced ticket revenues until March 2022. If the infection control measures so require, the government will consider further extension". He also stressed that if they were the make cuts in the routes too early, they would risk losing more travellers that otherwise would return.[11]

Green Party MP Rasmus Hansson criticised Nygård regarding a rise in prices for busses, which he sent in as a question for him to answer in the Storting. On 13 December, Nygård told media that the prices weren't too high, saying: "Until the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of travelers has increased as public transport has steadily improved. It is no wonder that an expanded offer costs something more. The fact that more and more people have found their way to public transport is a sign that pricing has not been too high". He went on to say: "I know that several county municipalities are working with new ticket products now as a result of changed travel habits, and I would like to wish them luck in the work of developing public transport now in a particularly difficult period".[12]

After the government announced that they would be abolishing the aircraft passenger tax until 1 July 2022, as a part of new COVID-19 measures; Nygård commented: "The negative consequences for the industry may be more long-term, so that compensatory measures are needed over a longer period". He went on to say: "Without financial support, we risk unwanted and noticeable cuts in the route offers in aviation. This can lead to people who perform socially critical functions not being able to get to work, or patients not being able to get to and from the hospitals".[13]

2022

In January 2022, he and labour minister Hadia Tajik announced that the government would take action against "workplace crime" in the transport sector. Nygård assessed that workplace criminality can spread from one workplace to the other, and that the transport sector was one of the most vulnerable. Further that if one company utilised illegal means, other companies could catch onto it as well. He also assessed that it would lead to a non sensical competition in the market, and lead to eventual further downward spiral. Nygård went on to stress the importance of "clearing the conditions".[14]

Following revelations that tunnels in Western Norway had not been inspected properly, Conservative Party MP Liv Kari Eskeland asked in a written question to Nygård how road inspections should be followed up in said region. Nygård responded that "we take tunnel safety seriously" and that "Norwegian tunnels will become safer".[15]

Nygård and the

Ministry of Transport tasked the Norwegian Railway Directorate to make a concept study for the Northern Norway railway line. In a press release on 24 February, Nygård stated: "In this connection, the Norwegian Railway Directorate must see the report in connection with the adjacent railway sections Ofotbanen and Nordlandsbanen, and it must describe consequences for other parts of the railway network on both the Norwegian and Swedish sides".[16]

Nygård announced on 22 April that the government would seek to get rid of extra monthly pay annually for the leadership of the state owned railway company Vy. He stated: "We want to give a clear signal that we believe it is time for moderation in all possible ways, and this also applies to our companies in the transport sector. Most of our companies have discontinued bonus schemes for a long time, but not Vy".[17]

In early May, he expressed that the state might have to intervene when it came to payment for charging electric vehicles. He added that charging electric vehicles would have to become simpler, and solution could be ready in 2023.[18]

In a press release in June, the

Ministry of Transport asked for inputs regarding the reduction of road companies in the country. Nygård clarified that this would include the status of the government owned road company, Nye Veier AS. He stated: "Several major changes have been made to the organization of the road area, in particular the closure of (what was previously called) Sam's road administration and the establishment of Nye Veier". He went on to say: "We are concerned with avoiding fragmented professional environments, increased costs and less coherent development. The Hurdal platform says that we will investigate - that is because we actually want to assess how we can best move forward to achieve the goals for the road sector". He also noted that if the government had considered reversing Nye Veier's status, they would have done so.[19]

On 6 July, he announced that the Ministry of Transport would be commencing a three step mapping plan for the railway industry after summer. The priority for the mapping is to find challenges within the railway industry and the shares responsibilities between the Ministry, the Railway Directorate and Bane NOR. Nygård emphasised that the government had high ambitions for the railway sector, and a goal to increase passenger and goods services.[20]

On 15 August, Nygård visited Gudbrandsdalen following the collapse of the Tretten Bridge. While visiting the site of the collapse, he said: "A bridge collapse like this is a significant event, as we cannot currently understand why it has happened and in that sense it is quite worrying". He also called for an external investigation of the collapse and an inspection of other wooden bridges. Aud M. Riseng, Innlandet county's chief of transport, assured that they would be inspecting other wooden bridges, but not necessarily close them unless necessary.[21]

On 9 September, Nygård confirmed that he would take the initiative to seek an evaluation of the possibility of merging Vy and Flytoget. He argued that the initiative was in line with the Hurdal platform, which sought to evaluate whether or not Norway should have one or two state owned rail companies.[22]

On 27 September, Nygård expressed that the National Transport Plan (NTP, nasjonal transportplan) would be unrealistic, and that planned transport projects would be put on hold. He didn't specify which projects would be affected, as this would be revealed in the state budget for 2023.[23]

On 19 November, Governing Mayor of Oslo Raymond Johansen and City Commissioner Sirin Stav called on the government to scrap several road projects around the capital, including transforming some streets into "environmental streets". In response, Nygård stated that the professional services would be imposed to include climate measures as a criterion. He also emphasised how much is being done to make the Norwegian transport sector as environmentally friendly as possible.[24]

On 13 December, Nygård and foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt announced that Norway would be donating bridge parts to Ukraine to help the country rebuild its infrastructure. He stated: "We know that these bridges will help Ukraine, while this does not weaken our own bridge readiness. The war in Ukraine requires Europe to stand together. We want to contribute when we are asked, with what Norway has the expertise and capacity for".[25]

2023

In early January 2023, following a meeting with the Norwegian Railway Directorate, the Railway Authority and Bane NOR, Nygård announced that he saw the need for an investigation into the incident at the opening of the Follo Line. He also expressed that some of the information he was told in the meeting was "concerning".[26] However, a few days later, Aftenposten revealed that Nygård had been informed about the incident on 23 December by Bane NOR despite him publicly saying otherwise. The opposition criticised Nygård's actions, with the Progress Party accusing him of misinformation. The Socialist Left Party said that the matter seemed to become "a bigger and bigger scandal". Nygård responded saying that Bane NOR had clarified that they had been uncertain about the cause of the incident on 27 December, but had narrowed it down to being the heating developments.[27] In March, Aftenposten revealed that Nygård had given a secret instruction to the Railway Directorate, asking them to allow Vy to be offered one of two railway stretches being negotiated. In effect, this blocked Flytoget from giving an offer to run both stretches to compete with Vy. The opposition parties accused Nygård of having given limited negotiation powers to the Railway Directorate and that the government as a whole, had little regard for passengers.[28]

Appearing before the Storting in June, Nygård expressed his disagreement with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration's findings that multiple road projects in Hordaland would be less socially beneficial to reach the climate goals. One of their findings included raising the fuel costs to 50kr per litre, which Nygård argued would not be relevant. He also emphasised that more views would be needed to estimate how the future would look like should emissions be cut drastically to reach Norway's climate goals.[29]

In September, the government announced that they would make future motorways slimmer in order to save the environment, reuse existing roads and decrease intervention in nature. Nygård argued that it would be a more responsible road policy and that more resources could be used to achieve a better road standard for the population.[30]

On 7 December, he announced that the government would allow electric and gas powered vehicles to pay a lower tolls price. Nygård additionally said that this measure was a part of making transport less fossil driven and reducing emissions, while also calling it "a step in the right direction".[31]

2024

In February, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration announced that it would be abolishing the practical test in the process for receiving a taxi license, which Nygård and his ministry had requested earlier. He did emphasise that the demands in achieving such a license would still be in place, with notabilities like a theoretical test and the Passenger Carrying Vehicle driver's license.[32]

Ahead of the government's National Transport Plan, Nygård and defence minister Bjørn Arild Gram visited Trøndelag in March to inspect motorways which would require upgrading in order to support military infrastructure in the event of armed conflict. Among other projects in the county aimed for upgrading includes the Ofoten Line, European route E14 and other motorways put as a priority for the Norwegian Army.[33]

References

  1. ^
    Store norske leksikon
    (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Jon-Ivar Nygård fyller 40 år i dag" (in Norwegian). Fredrikstad Blad. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Samferdselsministeren overrasket med giftermål" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Fredrikstad har fått ny ordfører" (in Norwegian). Dagsavisen. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Nygård, Jon-Ivar (1973-)". stortinget.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  6. Store norske leksikon
    (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Norge har fått ny regjering" (in Norwegian). NRK. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Den nye samferdselsministeren vil gi alt til Vy" (in Norwegian). VG. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Samferdselsministeren: Avlyser ikke motorveiutbygging" (in Norwegian). Dagsavisen. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Hadia Tajik møtte SAS-sjefen: – Har spurt om hvorfor de er i konflikt med nesten 500 av sine ansatte" (in Norwegian). E24. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Korona: Regjeringen vil forlenge kompensasjonsordning for togselskaper og kommersielle buss- og båtruter" (in Norwegian). government.no. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  12. ^ "MDG: – Anten forstår ikkje ministeren klimapolitikk, eller så er han berre flau" (in Norwegian). NRK Møre og Romsdal. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  13. TV 2
    . 21 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Regjeringen skal rydde opp i "systematisk arbeidslivskriminalitet" i transportsektoren" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Vegvesenet har latt vere å inspisere tunnelar" (in Norwegian). NRK Vestland. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Nord-Norgebanen: Regjeringen ber om fullverdig konseptvalgutredning" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Regjeringen med klar beskjed til Vy: Vil ha lederbonuser skrotet" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Samferdselsministeren om lade-betaling: Tror staten må gripe inn" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Regjeringen lurer på om det bør kuttes i antall veiselskaper" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Samferdselsministeren varsler gjennomgang av jernbanesektoren" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  21. TV 2
    . 15 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Starter utredning av sammenslåing av Vy og Flytoget" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Samferdselsministeren: – Store samferdselsutbygginger skal legges på is" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  24. ^ "Utfordrer egen regjering: Vil gjøre om motorveier til miljøgater" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Norge sender ti bruer til Ukraina" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Statsråd etter krisemøte om Follobanen: − Det har kommet info som bekymrer meg" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Venstre reagerer sterkt: – Svært lite tillitvekkende av samferdselsministeren" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Politikere ut mot Ap-minister etter Aftenposten-avsløring: – Har vingeklippet eget direktorat" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Samferdselsministeren avviser klima-analysen han sjølv bad om: – 50 kr per liter er uaktuelt" (in Norwegian Nynorsk). NRK Vestland. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  30. ^ "Regjeringen vil "slanke" landets nye motorveier" (in Norwegian). NRK Vestfold og Telemark. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  31. ^ "Nå er det åpnet for at lette el-varebiler og tunge gasskjøretøy kan betale mindre i bompenger" (in Norwegian). government.no. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  32. ^ "Regjeringen kutter den praktiske taxi-prøven: – En gledens dag for drosjenæringen" (in Norwegian). NRK Troms og Finnmark. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Langs denne veien skal Nato komme Sverige til unnsetning" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.


Government offices
Preceded by Minister of Transport
2021–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Eva Kristin Andersen
 Mayor of Fredrikstad
2011–2021 		Succeeded by
Siri Martinsen
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