Traffic safety in bus transport: An analysis of Ruter’s requirements to bus companies in contracts

The study examines the traffic safety consequences of the requirements that Ruter sets in the contracts with bus operators. Ruter's direct impact on traffic safety through contracts applies in particular to cases where Ruter requires more than national and international regulations (e.g. collision protection for drivers). Routes also have an indirect impact on traffic safety through contracts. This applies, for example, to the requirements for punctuality and regularity, which can have implications for drivers' experiences of time pressure and stress. Environmental goals can also have an indirect impact on traffic safety, as it involves choosing buses with high capacity, increase the number of passengers. Our results indicate that buses that are poorly adapted to the roads they are used on, and roads that are poorly adapted to bus transport are an important traffic safety issue. Ruter should systematise the work with traffic safety, by appointing dedicated people and take a coordinating role in relation to the bus operators and others who influence the safety of bus transport. This may, for example, involve developing a system for safety learning among operators, a collaborative body for traffic safety and carrying out risk analyzes.