Icy and slippery road conditions have disrupted traffic throughout the region this week.
Wednesday, January 15, was a challenging day for bus commuters. Icy road conditions led to numerous bus service cancellations.
Harriet Söder, CEO of Länstrafiken in Västerbotten, also acknowledged the difficulties:
– Conditions in Skellefteå are particularly challenging, and we are experiencing 84 service disruptions across the county.
Skellefteå Buss was among the companies that cancelled several regional routes, although city bus services reportedly operated with minimal disruption.
While it is both prudent and necessary to avoid travel during unsafe road conditions, it's easy to overlook the significant challenges caused by cancelled bus services.
For example, what are high school students supposed to do when their bus is cancelled, and they can't get home?
Many bus routes were cancelled due to icy conditions this week. The cancellations weren’t wholly good for traffic safety.
A reader who contacted us on Wednesday contended that Länstrafiken and their traffic operators are resorting to an overly simplistic solution by cancelling buses. The reader argued that alternative measures should be explored more thoroughly. For instance, departures could be delayed, or buses could be permitted to travel more slowly, allowing for increased travel time.
I agree. The safety of both drivers and passengers is not served when parents of commuting children and young people are forced to venture out on 'rescue missions' in hazardous winter conditions.