From Iceland — Reykjavik Area Bus Service Hopes to Increase Rush Hour Service By 2020

Reykjavik Area Bus Service Hopes to Increase Rush Hour Service By 2020

Published October 8, 2018

Photo by
Simon Steel

22 members of the 23-seat Reykjavík City Council approved a resolution to investigate increasing rush-hour service on Strætó’s busiest lines, RÚV reports.

Routes 1, 3, and 6 have the highest passenger volume, and run between downtown Reykjavík and the suburbs. Currently, routes 1 and 6 come every 10 minutes and Route 3 every 15. The resolution proposes increasing all three to every 7.5 minutes.

The Council does not have the final say on the matter, however. Strætó is tasked with determining the cost of the increased service, and then the other municipalities served will have to approve it. If the increased cost can be funded and all suburban councils agree, the service would begin in early 2020. It is hoped that the new Borgarlína system will start construction the same year.

Strætó has been steadily increasing service over the past few years. The higher frequency on certain lines is not the only change. The last bus on weeknights now leaves an hour later later; after midnight from downtown. On the weekend, there are late night buses every hour to ferry the drunken hoards home. These late weekend bus fares are twice the normal price, but still a lot cheaper than a taxi.

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