I had to take the full bus for the train. The train company believes it was a case of crisis.

Geir Løland was surprised when the bus from Otta to Lillehammer had no coronary restrictions. – A case of crisis, says SJ.

– I knew it was a train bus, and that’s fine.

That’s what Geir Løland says. On Sunday he was coming home from a family visit to Otta.

– There were five or six of us who took the bus in Otta, and then the bus was full. People were sitting in all the individual seats on the bus. When we asked where we were going to sit, they only told us to sit. There was also no requirement for the use of face masks, says Løland.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health’s National Guide to Infection Control in Public Transport states:

“The general one meter distance recommendation may deviate from trips lasting less than an hour, unless separate distance recommendations have been given.”

The journey from Otta to Lillehammer takes at least an hour and a half.

– There was also no distribution or requirement for the use of masks. Some wore it, but many sat without a face mask, says passenger Løland.

– Case of crisis

– I think this has been a crisis case for everyone to get to the train exit in Lillehammer, says business director Lena Angela Nesteby from SJ train company.

– Of course we apologize if that happened. We’ve configured buses according to the number of seats reserved on the train, but then there have been more who hadn’t booked a ticket in advance, says Nesteby.

Therefore, many had to sit together in the double seats.

– This bus has been installed because we had much less capacity after yesterday’s problems with a train. It’s a bit up to each individual to take precautions, but everyone would probably ride this bus, he says.

Satisfied on the train

Løland continued by train from Lillehammer to Sarpsborg. There he was satisfied with the distance on board.

– I talked about the father of the infection with the woman I was sitting next to and the others who were surprised when we got on the bus. Those of us who came were also surprised to see how crowded it was, says Geir Løland of the Sunday bus experience.