Planka.nu
Encyclopedia
Planka.nu is a network of organizations in Sweden
promoting tax
-financed zero-fare public transport
with chapters in Stockholm
, Gothenburg
, Skåne and Östergötland
. Planka.nu was founded in 2001 by the Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation
in response to the increasingly expensive ticket prices in the public transport system in Stockholm
. The campaign has received much attention because of the controversial methods used to promote free public transport
: Planka.nu encourage people to fare-dodge in the public transport,
aiding its members in paying penalty fare
s through the insurance fund p-kassan.
, which belongs to the
260 square kilometres (100.4 sq mi) island of Niue
but is sold primarily to foreigners, was chosen because it means "now" in Swedish
. The standard top level domain for Sweden is .se
.
With growing membership and interest, the campaign was detached from the SUF to form an independent organization. Local organizations have since started up in Gothenburg
in 2003, Östergötland
in 2005 and Skåne in 2009. A sister organization, pumm.it has been created in Helsinki
, Finland
. In November 2008, Planka.nu released Freepublictransports.com, a global forum for the free public transport movement.
Ticket fares in Stockholm have increased dramatically over time. By one measure—single ticket price for a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) journey—Stockholm has the most expensive-to-use public transport in the world, as of March 2009.
. Whereas in other cases this is done in agreement with (at least some) employees of the service provider
, in the case of Planka.nu fare-dodgers are encouradged to evade fares without seeking permission.
Since its conception Planka.nu has broadened its methods and now functions as a think tank
with public transport, urban planning
and climate change
as its main areas of focus, as well as an insurance fund. The network also uses standard leftist methods, such as rallies
, adbusting, and pamphlet
s. Together with refugee rights organization Ingen människa är illegal, the Swedish chapter of No one is illegal, Planka.nu provides tickets for immigrants living in Sweden without asylum, since a paperless immigrant
might otherwise be reported to the police and deported if caught riding without a ticket.
of 1200 SEK
in the public transport systems of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Östergötland. In return for a membership fee (paid monthly or biannually) members are refunded by Planka.nu if fined, through the solidarity fund P-kassan. Net income from p-kassan is used in the aforementioned partnership with No one is illegal and to finance the production of flyers, stickers, folders, web pages and other information material. All members of Planka.nu work pro-bono.
In December 2009, Västtrafik
accused the Gothenburg chapter of operating an unauthorized insurance.
by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
(SL), Västtrafik and ÖstgötaTrafiken, who believe that Planka.nu engages in illegal activities. As of today, no charges have been made. Planka.nu themselves believe that their activities do not conflict with existing legislation.
Many critics believe that fare evasion leads to reduced funds and higher costs for public transport, which must be offset by higher prices for those who do pay their fares.
In 2004, the Stockholm University Student Union received media attention after first permitting a meeting of the network on its premises and later barring Planka.nu when criticism was voiced.
: Highway to Hell? criticizing the plans for the express beltway Förbifart Stockholm
around Stockholm
, Travel Doesn't Have to Cost the Earth proposing a set of measures to make the transport sector in Stockholm more climate-friendly, Till varje pris? (At any cost?) a report about the costs of ticketing in the public transport system in Stockholm, and Trafikmaktsordningen (The Hierarchy of Traffic) regarding the hierarchies
of transportation and how it relates to social mobility
and class
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
promoting tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
-financed zero-fare public transport
Zero-fare public transport
Free public transport, also often called free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is a single or network of transport services funded in full by means other than collecting a full fare from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation or by...
with chapters in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Skåne and Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
. Planka.nu was founded in 2001 by the Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation
Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation
Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation, is a youth-based group in Sweden that supports anarcho-syndicalism....
in response to the increasingly expensive ticket prices in the public transport system in Stockholm
Public transport in Stockholm
Public transport in Stockholm consists of bus, metro, regional/suburban rail, light rail, tram and archipelago boat operation in Stockholm County, Sweden. The bus and rail is organized by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik , SL, which is owned by the Stockholm County Council...
. The campaign has received much attention because of the controversial methods used to promote free public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
: Planka.nu encourage people to fare-dodge in the public transport,
aiding its members in paying penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
s through the insurance fund p-kassan.
History
In 2001, the Stockholm chapter of the Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation launched the campaign Planka.nu (literally, fare-dodge.now) as a reaction to a rise in ticket prices by the Stockholm County Council. The domain name .nu.nu
.nu is the Internet country code top-level domain assigned to the island state of Niue. It was one of the first ccTLDs to be marketed to the Internet at large as an alternative to the gTLDs .com, .net, and .org...
, which belongs to the
260 square kilometres (100.4 sq mi) island of Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
but is sold primarily to foreigners, was chosen because it means "now" in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
. The standard top level domain for Sweden is .se
.se
.se is the Internet country code top-level domain for Sweden . The top domain is operated by .SE , but domains must be registered through one of the approved registrars. .SE is a foundation and is managed on the basis of its charter of foundation and its statutes...
.
With growing membership and interest, the campaign was detached from the SUF to form an independent organization. Local organizations have since started up in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
in 2003, Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
in 2005 and Skåne in 2009. A sister organization, pumm.it has been created in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. In November 2008, Planka.nu released Freepublictransports.com, a global forum for the free public transport movement.
Ticket fares in Stockholm have increased dramatically over time. By one measure—single ticket price for a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) journey—Stockholm has the most expensive-to-use public transport in the world, as of March 2009.
Activism
In the tradition of the Italian autonomists, Planka.nu advocate self-reduction, where the price of the service is determined by the consumerConsumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
. Whereas in other cases this is done in agreement with (at least some) employees of the service provider
Service provider
A service provider is an entity that provides services to other entities. Usually, this refers to a business that provides subscription or web service to other businesses or individuals. Examples of these services include Internet access, Mobile phone operators, and web application hosting...
, in the case of Planka.nu fare-dodgers are encouradged to evade fares without seeking permission.
Since its conception Planka.nu has broadened its methods and now functions as a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
with public transport, urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and climate change
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
as its main areas of focus, as well as an insurance fund. The network also uses standard leftist methods, such as rallies
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
, adbusting, and pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s. Together with refugee rights organization Ingen människa är illegal, the Swedish chapter of No one is illegal, Planka.nu provides tickets for immigrants living in Sweden without asylum, since a paperless immigrant
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
might otherwise be reported to the police and deported if caught riding without a ticket.
P-kassan
Failing to purchase a ticket or traveling using an incorrect pass is subject to a penalty farePenalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
of 1200 SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
in the public transport systems of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Östergötland. In return for a membership fee (paid monthly or biannually) members are refunded by Planka.nu if fined, through the solidarity fund P-kassan. Net income from p-kassan is used in the aforementioned partnership with No one is illegal and to finance the production of flyers, stickers, folders, web pages and other information material. All members of Planka.nu work pro-bono.
In December 2009, Västtrafik
Västtrafik
Västtrafik is the agency responsible for public transport services involving buses, ferries, trains, and the Göteborg tramway in the county of Västra Götaland, Sweden. Until 31 December 2011 the ownership is shared equally between the Västra Götaland Regional Council and the 49 municipalities in...
accused the Gothenburg chapter of operating an unauthorized insurance.
Criticism
Planka.nu and its organizers have seen substantial criticism, primarily by politicians and transportation companies in each city. The network has been reported to the police for incitementIncitement
In English criminal law, incitement was an anticipatory common law offence and was the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a crime....
by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
(SL), Västtrafik and ÖstgötaTrafiken, who believe that Planka.nu engages in illegal activities. As of today, no charges have been made. Planka.nu themselves believe that their activities do not conflict with existing legislation.
Many critics believe that fare evasion leads to reduced funds and higher costs for public transport, which must be offset by higher prices for those who do pay their fares.
In 2004, the Stockholm University Student Union received media attention after first permitting a meeting of the network on its premises and later barring Planka.nu when criticism was voiced.
Publications
Planka.nu has released four larger policy papersWhite paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
: Highway to Hell? criticizing the plans for the express beltway Förbifart Stockholm
Förbifart Stockholm
Förbifart Stockholm is a controversial planned express highway between the E 4/E 20 at Kungens Kurva in the south of Stockholm and the E 4 at Häggvik north of Stockholm. Most of this bypass, more than 17 out of 21 kilometers, is planned to pass through underground tunnels...
around Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Travel Doesn't Have to Cost the Earth proposing a set of measures to make the transport sector in Stockholm more climate-friendly, Till varje pris? (At any cost?) a report about the costs of ticketing in the public transport system in Stockholm, and Trafikmaktsordningen (The Hierarchy of Traffic) regarding the hierarchies
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
of transportation and how it relates to social mobility
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement of people in a population from one social class or economic level to another. It typically refers to vertical mobility -- movement of individuals or groups up from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marrying; but can also refer to...
and class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
.