CHRISTMAS TRANSPORT CHAOS
Skåne residents encouraged to stay home
Published: 24 Dec 10 11:01 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31052/20101224/
Share6 Train schedules are back on schedule on Christmas Eve after public transportation across Sweden was plagued by delays on Thursday, according to the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), which responsible for the country’s transport infrastructure.
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But problems remain with roads in Skåne and residents are encouraged to stay home.
“I know that this is strange advice on Christmas Eve, but unless it's absolutely necessary, you shouldn't get in the car. This primarily applies to Skåne, but also Blekinge, Kalmar county and Öland,” said Rebecka Starco, press officer at Trafikverket.
Trafikverket has prioritised clearing the main roads and coastal highways. Drivers are encouraged to avoid less trafficked roads.
“A class two warning is still in effect for Skåne, so you need to be cautious and remain home if possible. Especially in Österlen and Söderslätt. We are still prioritising ploughing major roads, so you should try to avoid less trafficked roads. Things are clear in the north part of the country.”
The Swedish railway system is back on schedule.
“We still have the same reduced traffic, so the the Ystadsbana line (between Malmö and Simrishamn) remains closed. But in general we are back on track. As of right now, things are looking good as we haven't received a single report of problems. We are expecting to be on schedule today,” Starco said.
The situation in Öland is much worse and a home-help service that serves elderly and other homebound clients has used tracked vehicles to reach clients, according to SOS Alarm.
Swedish meteorological agency SMHI has issued a class 2 warning (on an ascending scale of three) for Kalmar county, Öland and Gotland, and SOS reiterates that people should avoid going out unless absolutely necessary
.
The Swedish Coast Guard has not received any reports on disruptions on ship transport in the the Baltic Sea, but several ships have sought shelter and are awaiting better weather.
