UniBuss
Encyclopedia
Unibuss, formerly known as Nexus Trafikk, is a Norwegian
bus company that operates from Oslo
, Norway
. It is a subsidiary
of the municipal Kollektivtransportproduksjon and was created in 2003 so the company could compete for the public service obligation
(PSO) contracts that Oslo was to operate the bus system through. Unibuss has won several of the contracts in Oslo, which are awarded by Oslo Sporveier
, in addition to contracts with Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
in Akershus
. The company has since become subject to the new entity Ruter
that covers both counties. Unibuss also operate buses in two areas of Vestfold.
Unibuss has about 1600 employees, 650 buses and a revenue of NOK
1049 million in 2009, 972 million of this is through Unibuss Rute. Most of the current contracts specify Euro V emission standards, with most of the buses adhering to the EEV standard. Two Volvo hybrid buses were added in 2010.
Unibuss also operate two coach companies (Sporveisbussenes Turbiler and Tønsberg Bussreiser) and the express coach company Unibuss Ekspress. The latter operate airport buses between Oslo and Moss Airport Rygge, Oslo and Sandefjord Airport Torp, and Trondheim and Trondheim Airport Værnes, in addition to express routes between Oslo and Trondheim, and Oslo and Kristiansand/Stavanger.
The transfer of routes to Unibuss has been criticized among other things because the employees in Nexus have worse pension
conditions than in Sporveisbussene. This was an inevitable move, as all bus transport in Oslo and Akershus is tendered and Unibuss had to adhere to the same tariffs as its competitors in order to be competitive.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
bus company that operates from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of the municipal Kollektivtransportproduksjon and was created in 2003 so the company could compete for the public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
(PSO) contracts that Oslo was to operate the bus system through. Unibuss has won several of the contracts in Oslo, which are awarded by Oslo Sporveier
Oslo Public Transport Administration
AS Oslo Sporveier or the Oslo Public Transport Administration is a municipally owned limited company that is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Oslo, Norway...
, in addition to contracts with Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk AS or SL was the public transport administration for bus and ferry transport in Akershus, Norway from 1973 to 2007. SL was organised as a limited company owned by the Akershus county municipality, the City of Oslo, and the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications,...
in Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
. The company has since become subject to the new entity Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
that covers both counties. Unibuss also operate buses in two areas of Vestfold.
Unibuss has about 1600 employees, 650 buses and a revenue of NOK
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
1049 million in 2009, 972 million of this is through Unibuss Rute. Most of the current contracts specify Euro V emission standards, with most of the buses adhering to the EEV standard. Two Volvo hybrid buses were added in 2010.
Unibuss also operate two coach companies (Sporveisbussenes Turbiler and Tønsberg Bussreiser) and the express coach company Unibuss Ekspress. The latter operate airport buses between Oslo and Moss Airport Rygge, Oslo and Sandefjord Airport Torp, and Trondheim and Trondheim Airport Værnes, in addition to express routes between Oslo and Trondheim, and Oslo and Kristiansand/Stavanger.
The transfer of routes to Unibuss has been criticized among other things because the employees in Nexus have worse pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
conditions than in Sporveisbussene. This was an inevitable move, as all bus transport in Oslo and Akershus is tendered and Unibuss had to adhere to the same tariffs as its competitors in order to be competitive.