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Local Sweden
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
How Sweden and Denmark could actually make life easier for cross-border workers
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Öresund bridge connecting Copenhagen and Malmö, the prime ministers of both countries pledged to make it easier to live and work across the Swedish-Danish border. The Local Sweden's Deputy Editor, Becky Waterton, has a few ideas. Advertisement I'm a big fan of the Öresund bridge. I literally wrote an article about how much it means to me in The Local a few weeks ago. For those of us here in southern Sweden, it really has connected Sweden and Denmark. A trip to Copenhagen feels less like visiting a foreign country to me than a trip to Stockholm (maybe I've been living in Skåne for too long). Despite this, I am constantly frustrated by the barriers that are still associated with the bridge thanks to the Swedish and Danish governments, whether that's the high cost of crossing it or the border checks on the Swedish side. I'm glad to see the leaders of both countries pledging to do something about this – although the declaration they made seems vague and not legally binding, so I don't have high hopes. So, Ulf Kristersson and Mette Frederiksen, here are some concrete tips for what you could do to improve things for those of us who actually use the bridge. Advertisement Make it cheaper Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan revealed last month that the Öresund bridge is the most expensive bridge crossing per kilometre in the world. The current price for a single crossing in a private car is 510 Danish kroner or 750 Swedish kronor, making it the most expensive bridge toll by some distance. Even train crossings are expensive, with a return ticket from Malmö to Copenhagen costing 300 Swedish kronor (200 Danish kroner) for an adult. A day trip from Malmö to Louisiana for a family with two adults and two children will set you back just shy of 1,000 Swedish kronor (670 Danish kroner), and that's just the cost of transport. The bridge isn't owned by some private company looking to make a quick buck, but it's co-owned by the Danish and Swedish governments who are ultimately responsible for setting the ticket prices. For the past 25 years the argument for the high prices is simple – the bridge was financed by a loan which needs to be paid off. The loan was due to be repaid in 2030, but the two countries have agreed to extend the repayment time to 2050, keep the price high and use the profit from the bridge to finance other infrastructure projects. Another argument for keeping the price high is legal constraints – when the bridge was built, the two sides agreed that they would keep prices competitive with the Helsingborg-Helsingør ferry connection so as not to undercut them. The ferry crossing costs under 100 Swedish kronor (66 kroner) each way for a pedestrian (off-peak prices are as low as 69 kronor/45 kroner) and under 500 kronor (340 kroner) for a car. Surely they could lower the bridge fee to match these, which would still be a significant discount? Create permits for cross-border workers Denmark is crying out for foreign labour, and Skåne has high unemployment – you don't need to be a genius to realise that there's an opportunity to be had by increasing the number of cross-border workers. EU and Nordic citizens can freely work on both sides of the border, living in one country and working in the other. But those of us who are not from the EU who want to work in Denmark and live in Sweden don't just need a residence permit for Sweden, but a work permit for Denmark, too. Even if you already have a work permit in one country you can't just move with it to the other one. Why is this? Cross-border workers are nothing but good news for the country they work in, where they pay tax and contribute to the economy without using any public services. Their kids go to school in their country of residence and they use healthcare there, unlike workers who live and work in the same country. Would it really be so hard to create some form of cross-border permit allowing people to work freely between the two countries on the same terms as EU citizens? Or in any case, better terms than they do currently? Advertisement Simplify bureaucracy between both countries Bureaucracy isn't just an issue for non-EU people looking to make the most of the proximity to another country. Nordic and EU workers travelling between Sweden and Denmark struggle with issues like accessing eID services in both countries, and until recently rules around both countries' instant payment services Mobilepay and Swish meant that these services were unavailable to cross-border workers. Working across a border means navigating two countries' rules when carrying out basic life admin, including issues like pensions, unions, unemployment insurance and parental leave. Especially on the Swedish side, it often feels like cross-border workers are an afterthought for Swedish politicians who don't understand just how much of a benefit the Öresund connection could be if they made the most of it. Get rid of border checks Do you know what else celebrates an anniversary this year? The border checks in Hyllie, the first stop in Sweden, which were introduced for six months back in 2015. Since then, the six month periods have been renewed by successive Swedish governments. These border checks – which nine times out of ten don't even take place – lengthen the travel time of anyone getting the train from Denmark to Sweden by around ten minutes as timetables are set to allow enough time for police to move through the train checking passports. This is a journey that usually takes less than an hour. How would Stockholmers react if the government set up an arbitrary border control stopping the train for ten minutes every time they pass Slussen* that does nothing but delay their commute each morning? Advertisement Develop even more infrastructure to connect the two countries The Öresund bridge is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, but the situation for commuters is still the same as it was back in 2000 (if anything, it's worse, as prices have risen even with inflation taken into account). There's clear local interest in Helsingør and Helsingborg for a tunnel connecting the two countries between those cities, and a potential metro line between Malmö and Copenhagen is also under discussion. However, political discussions over who is paying for what have stalled those projects for years. Another Öresund connection wouldn't just increase collaboration and integration across both sides of the Öresund, but it would also protect the connection between the two countries so that trains, cars and pedestrians would all still be able to cross over if the Öresund bridge was damaged or closed for whatever reason. If Kristersson and Frederiksen are so keen on increased integration between their two countries, that would be a good place to start.
Local Sweden
18-06-2025
- Business
- Local Sweden
Öresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden has ‘most expensive toll in world'
A review by a Swedish newspaper has concluded that the Öresund Bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden is the world's priciest crossing to drive over. Advertisement The Öresund Bridge is this year marking the 25th anniversary of its opening, but has been given a title it might not want to include in the celebrations. Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan has concluded that the 16-kilometre tunnel and bridge connection between Amager in Denmark and Skåne in Sweden has the most expensive bridge toll in the world. The current price for a single journey across the bridge in a private car is 510 Danish kroner or 750 Swedish kronor, making it the most expensive bridge by some distance according to Sydsvenskan. Subscribers to the Øresund Go discount scheme pay 178 Danish kroner per crossing, or 262 Swedish kronor. The subscription costs 365 Danish kroner or 565 Swedish kronor per year. This means that even with a subscription to the discount scheme, the first five crossings are still more expensive than on any other bridge in the world. More than five crossings in a year will result in a lower average price per crossing. Around 80 percent of motorists who use the bridge have either Øresund Go or another form of discount according to the newspaper. Advertisement The twin bridges between Kobe and Naruto in Japan are the world's second-most expensive to cross, with the Confederation Bridge in Canada in third place. Denmark's Great Belt Bridge between Funen and Zealand is the fourth-most expensive in the world. The high toll prices on the Öresund Bridge are necessary because it is user and not taxpayer-funded, Linus Eriksson, CEO of operating company Øresundsbron, told Danish news wire Ritzau. 'We haven't spent a single taxpayer krone financing this bridge and we still have debt to pay off,' Eriksson said. The Øresund Bridge was built at a cost of 14.8 billion Danish kroner in 1990, with its financing structure requiring loans to be repaid by users of the bridge. Eriksson also noted that tolls on the bridge are required to be based on ferry fares linking Denmark to Sweden between Helsingør and Helsingborg. The repayment period is a maximum of 50 years from the bridge's opening in 2000, meaning that the bridge is expected to be fully paid off by 2050 at the latest.
Local Sweden
25-03-2025
- Local Sweden
New rail saver ticket to be introduced for Copenhagen and Skåne regions
The new saver ticket, available from March 31st, replaces the discontinued Öresund runt ("around the Öresund") ticket but does not fully cover the same route. The ticket, which has a validity period of 48 hours, can be used by either tourists or residents in the region. The Öresund runt ticket was discontinued after the ferry company operating between Helsingborg and Helsingør withdrew from the collaboration after 23 years. Public transport operator Skånetrafiken has now developed a ticket that partially replaces it, Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan writes. 'We looked at the Öresund runt ticket. This almost replaces it but without the ferry crossing. The new ticket lasts for 48 hours instead of the previous two calendar days, allowing travellers to start their journey in the evening,' Patrik Engfors, head of partnerships at Skånetrafiken, told Sydsvenskan. Advertisement The price for 48 hours of unlimited travel within Skånetrafiken's network on the Swedish side of the Öresund is 299 Swedish kronor (200 Danish kroner), while a ticket covering both Skåne and Denmark costs 599 kronor (415 kroner) and is valid in the Copenhagen region, extending all the way to popular destinations like Helsingør and Gilleleje on the northern Zealand coast. The ticket will remain available after the summer season. The travel pass will be available on the Skånetrafiken app from March 31st.
Local Sweden
05-02-2025
- Local Sweden
Örebro campus shooter named in Swedish media
Andersson, from Örebro, was first named by the Expressen tabloid shortly before 3pm, after which newspapers Aftonbladet, Sydsvenskan and the local news site Nerikes Allehanda followed suit. Swedish public broadcaster SVT waited until shortly after 5pm. Swedish police have yet to confirm his name officially. According to Aftonbladet, Andersson, who changed his name in 2017 from Jonas Simon, had struggled with psychiatric problems through much of his upbringing, had failed to complete school, been unemployed and had lived a largely socially isolated life in recent years. Swedish police said earlier on Wednesday there was "a lot" to indicate that the shooter had turned the gun on himself. "There is a lot to indicate that," Örebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest told a press conference when asked by a reporter if the gunman had shot himself, with Forest adding that the suspect was deceased when police reached him. The Expressen newspaper reported that Andersson had been nicknamed Luvan, meaning "the hood", or "hoodie", at school because he often had a hood pulled over his head, and would also often obscure his face with his hands. Despite his reported psychiatric problems, he had been granted a licence for four rifles, the newspaper claimed. He carried three rifles to Campus Risbergska, where he carried out his attack: one hunting rifle, one shotgun, and an automatic rifle. The newspaper reported that Andersson had repeatedly applied to do his national service and been rejected every time because of his lack of the necessary school grades to qualify for upper secondary education. He finished the ninth class at the Navets elementary school, aged 16, without receiving a passing grade in a single subject, Expressen reported. He did manage to get into Wadköpings education centre, a municipal upper secondary school, where he received a good grade in arts, history and psychology, but was failed in seven other subjects. In 2021, he was registered as a student at Campus Risbergska, where he carried out his attack, according to Aftonbladet. He started studying maths at upper secondary level, but appears to have dropped out before completing the course. Public broadcasters SR and the Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet newspapers have yet to name the shooter.
