Demand for public transport has grown so great in Reykjavík that Strætó has admitted to drivers denying passengers boarding during busy periods. RÚV reports that for the first year in the company’s history that Strætó hit the million passenger mark in October 2012.
For six consecutive years the public transit operator has conducted passenger counts in October, and never have the numbers been as high as 2012. The report released by Strætó admitted that many of their routes have problems meeting service demands, emphasizing the crowding problems on routes 1, 3 and 6.
The report notes that there has been an increase in workers turning to public transportation to manage their daily commute, as the morning and afternoon rush-hours boast the highest passenger volume. The report further notes that rising gas prices may be resulting in those who had traditionally driven a private vehicle opting for public transport.
The service offered by Strætó has long been a target of criticism from users, however Strætó says that they plan on addressing this passenger increase by either putting more busses on the busier routes or utilizing larger vehicles.
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