In Sweden, they strive to make public transport accessible not only for people with mobility limitations but also for anyone who might find travel difficult.
Read the beginning of the article:
WHAT SWEDES RIDE (part 1)
WHAT SWEDES RIDE (part 2)
As the portal Sweden.se notes, an exception can be made perhaps for pregnant women, people with obvious disabilities, or the very elderly. For all of them, however, seats are reserved at the front of the bus.
Swedish politeness
Giving up a seat in Sweden is not just a display of politeness but also an expression of doubt about a person's independence or abilities. Giving up a seat to a woman, just like offering a hand when getting off the bus, can even be perceived as an insult ("Do I look that old and frail?" a Swedish woman might think).
If there are empty seats nearby, it's best not to invade passengers' personal space and not to sit next to them. Talking to strangers on public transport is also not very common. This also applies to waiting at the stop: queuing is sacred, and it's better to stand at a small distance from others. However, if you need directions, feel free to approach anyone; they will gladly help you.
Trains – for those with plenty of time?
Most intercity rail services are operated by the state-owned company SJ. It has several private competitors – MTR Express, Vy Tåg Ab, Snälltåget. Long-distance trains reach speeds of up to 200 km/h: from Stockholm to Gothenburg on the west coast can be reached in 3 hours, and to Malmö in the south in 4.5 hours. There are also night trains with sleeping compartments, which take a bit longer.
Vertically elongated Sweden is one of the few countries in Europe where a journey across the country by high-speed train can stretch for almost a day: from the capital to one of the northernmost points on the map – the popular ski resort Riksgränsen – it takes 18 hours. By rail, you can get to Denmark (via the famous Öresund Bridge) and Norway. Between small towns, suburban electric trains and local trains operate.
Swedish railways regularly appear in anti-rankings of the most unpunctual in developed countries. In 2019, only 79% of long-distance trains arrived on time or with a delay of up to 5 minutes. There is also good news – for a train delay, decent compensation and reimbursement for taxi or unplanned overnight stay are provided. The amount of compensation depends on how late the train is and the distance traveled. For example, if the Stockholm-Gothenburg train is delayed by 2 hours, you can get half the ticket price back, and if the distance to the final station is less than 150 km, half can be refunded after just a 20-minute delay.
The main reason for train delays is cited as the age of the railway tracks, which are not adapted for modern high-speed trains, and the fact that they have to share them with regular suburban and freight trains. Plans to develop fast and environmentally friendly rail connections regularly become the subject of political debate – whether or not to allocate millions of budget funds for building new tracks in such an unevenly populated country?
To fly or not to fly?
Even more serious debates are about air travel. The Swedish word flygskam (flight shame, the feeling that flying is environmentally unfriendly and reprehensible) firmly entered the vocabulary of Swedes in 2018. It even appeared in the "New Words of the Year" list of the Swedish Language Council – which annually includes words that change the language and cultural agenda of the country.
The debate about the environmental harm of flights has seriously affected every fourth Swede – exactly that many are ready to change their habits and choose other transport based on environmental awareness. Of course, completely giving up flights in a country stretching roughly the distance from west to east of Ukraine is not possible, but many Swedes will prefer to cover short distances by train. It is estimated: a three-hour train ride between Stockholm and Gothenburg is 20,000 times less harmful to the environment than a one-hour flight of the same distance.
In 2018, a tax on flights within Sweden and abroad was also introduced – for each ticket, the passenger must pay a fee from 6 to 40 euros, depending on the destination. The tax also sparked debate in the country – its critics argue that achieving a long-term environmental effect should be done by gradually transitioning aircraft to renewable fuel sources, rather than punishing ordinary citizens for choosing a particular mode of transport.
At the time of writing this text in 2020, Sweden has 37 airports. The largest is Stockholm Arlanda (passenger traffic – 25 million per year), the smallest is Hagfors Airport in Värmland province (about 3,000 per year). In 2019, Swedish airports handled 38 million passengers, of which only 7 million were domestic. In 2020, amid the global pandemic, these figures, as in other countries, are predictably expected to decline.
Through the archipelago between islands
For a country with the most islands in the world, water transport is not a luxury but a means of transportation. No fine summer weekend in Stockholm or Gothenburg is complete without a trip on a white boat to the archipelago. And those who live on islands often can only get home by water, so regional authorities are obliged to provide them with scheduled transport.
In Stockholm, located on 14 islands, they also run through the city as regular public transport: on weekday mornings, on some lines, passengers hurrying to work are treated to free coffee and tea. Riding a boat at the price of a public transport ticket is one way to save money while traveling in Sweden. Cruise ships and excursion boats are also abundant.
By ferry from Sweden, you can reach neighboring Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, and Finland. The intensity of ferry connections varies greatly by country, being most developed with Finland and Denmark. Weekend ferry cruises—enjoying sea views, dining at an onboard restaurant, perhaps visiting the duty-free shop, and returning home the same or next day—are a very popular pastime.
Sailing and simply riding various boats and yachts are also common in Sweden. For a population of 10 million, Sweden has an estimated 800,000 private boats; only neighboring Norway and Finland have more per capita.
Unlimited opportunities
The law on adapting public transport to the needs of people with disabilities was passed as early as 1979. Sweden strives to make public transport accessible not only for people with mobility impairments but also for anyone who might find travel difficult.
People with hearing impairments, dyslexia, allergies, those suffering from stress or chronic pain should feel equally comfortable using public transport. A person with limitations may be hindered by unclear announcements, noise, overly long distances between stops, and other factors—all of which are taken into account when planning public transport.
All buses, trams, and metro cars in Stockholm, without exception, are equipped with ramps or entrances level with the sidewalk or platform. People with disabilities can use the assistance of special aides. Those unable to use public transport can call a minibus or taxi—these services are provided and paid for by the municipality.