Response to interpellation 2022/23:361 on the cooperation of government agencies and companies with residents in rural areas
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 KD assumes that Trafikverket works to minimize disruptions and has a responsibility to engage in dialogue with relevant actors 1. KD argues that the government should not micro-manage the agency in individual projects 1. KD emphasizes that cooperation is an important part of Trafikverket's mandate and that the agency has routines for local influence 2. KD follows up that the director-general focuses on close dialogue with citizens and the business community 2 3. KD argues that one should not downplay the fact that there are conflicts of interest and that it is Trafikverket's mandate to assess these 4. 5 C argues that there is a structural problem where the communication and cooperation are not sufficient 5. C argues that the government needs to give Trafikverket the opportunity to temporarily deviate from certain regulations to find smart solutions 5 6. C believes that it is about having tools to be flexible 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Martina Johansson has asked me about the government and I will prioritize following up to ensure that the cooperation that, among other things, Trafikverket is obliged to perform actually takes place and that the underlying data used are based on actual facts.
The question has been raised before, and I have a similar answer today. I assume that Trafikverket works to minimize the disruptions that may arise in connection with construction projects. Within the framework of its mandate, Trafikverket has a responsibility to engage in dialogue with relevant actors in connection with the planning and implementation of projects. The purpose is to ensure that relevant circumstances are taken into account and to limit disruptions and inconveniences for those affected.
Just as Martina Johansson points out, it is not up to the government or an individual minister to micro-manage the agency's work in individual projects. I assume that Trafikverket works strategically to develop its relations and its communication with people and organizations affected by various measures. How Trafikverket interacts with its surroundings is one of several issues that my colleagues and I continuously follow up on in the dialogue with the agency.
Martina Johansson (C)
Mr. Speaker! I thank Andreas Carlson for the answer.
I notice a certain irritation in the answer, or at least it is my experience from the outside that the minister means that we have had this discussion previously. And in a sense, we absolutely have, as I have previously in the chamber raised, for example, a certain railway bridge that is to be replaced in Vrena. I have also spoken about power lines being built between Hedenlunda and Oxelösund.
When I have brought up these examples with the minister previously, the minister and the government have, however, been quite newly appointed. What I wanted to do then was to inform that there is a need and something to work on here. I wanted to give the minister the opportunity to act so that it would become better. But my experience is that there is no interest in actually making this change.
What I am raising concerns the experience of nonchalance from our authorities regarding projects that are relatively small for them. For the individual people living nearby, however, the projects are large. It is a matter of the communication and cooperation not being sufficient, because the criticism would not have become as strong as it actually is in these areas if there had been better communication and cooperation and a greater focus.
This is not the only example in Sörmland and Sweden where one experiences that cooperation and communication do not work. It concerns Vrena, as I said, and I have mentioned Hedenlunda. I can mention the drum changes on road 55 in Sörmland or the Viskadalsbanan between Varberg and Borås, where crossings are closed so that large agricultural machines need to travel on the national road instead. I can mention the national road between Enköping and Sala, where railings are being built that will make it difficult for large construction machines to get through. In Hjulsjö in Hällefors municipality, the road is being rerouted, which is very good – but the village has to take over the responsibility for the road, and it has not been clear in what way that occurs.
I am raising concrete examples to show that there is a structural problem. That is the minister's responsibility. Trafikverket probably works based on the mandate they perceive they have. It is a square box - a square box. The government needs to help Trafikverket so that the box can become a bit rounder. It might be able to get slightly rounder corners and bulging sides.
It is about giving Trafikverket the opportunity to tailor the measures that are taken so that they become as good as possible. Perhaps one should have the opportunity to temporarily bypass or deviate from certain regulations. It is small measures that make a difference for the individual - who often lives in the countryside.
Mr. Speaker! I also raise the concerns of entrepreneurs regarding the risk of going bankrupt while a project is ongoing because they cannot cross the railway in a good way. Who takes responsibility for that? The Minister says in his answer to me that he assumes that cooperation takes place. But then my question is: Has the Minister investigated how it can turn out in a small rural area when a project, small for Trafikverket, is carried out? Has he investigated how it works with communication, cooperation, and the possibility of finding smart solutions in the individual project?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! There is actually no irritation at all, and we are following and working with the issue with great interest. Martina Johansson's perception that I would in some way be irritated at receiving this question again is incorrect. In my answer, I merely stated that we have had this discussion previously.
I would like to thank Martina Johansson for the question and for the commitment. I know that it means a lot when a local politician, or a local or regional Member of Parliament, gets involved in such an issue and notices and highlights issues that are important in the individual locality or in the individual region.
The previous interpellation addressed in my response was linked to the bridge over the railway in Vrena. I want to emphasize that cooperation with other actors is an important part of Trafikverket's mandate. According to its instruction, Trafikverket is to have well-functioning routines, methods of work, and forms of cooperation that safeguard and enable local influence. Trafikverket thus has this in its instruction, and I assume, of course, that it is something that Trafikverket continuously reviews and develops within the framework of this mandate.
I assume that Trafikverket, in all its projects, works to minimize disruptions that may arise during the construction period, and a good dialogue with local actors is often both a prerequisite for and an opportunity to find good solutions.
I can state that the Director General of the Swedish Transport Administration, ever since he took office in March 2022, has had a particular focus on the importance of close dialogue with, among others, citizens, regions, municipalities, and the business community. According to the information I have from the agency, this work has developed the dialogues in a positive direction. The agency is now continuing its work to improve and develop the regional relations. This is a task that I am following closely.
The committee members also asked whether I myself have investigated and familiarized myself with how this affects a small rural area. I have, to the highest degree, especially in my previous role as a Member of Parliament. I have also had much dialogue with parties that were affected by a project that everyone longed for and wanted in place but who, when it was finally designed, did not feel that the large authority listened to them.
This highlights the need raised by the interpellator that one should have as a starting point to have a good dialogue with those concerned in a clear and attentive manner. The Director General has identified this as a focus area, and it is something that I follow up on in the regular agency dialogue.
Martina Johansson (C)
Mr. Speaker! It is good to hear from the Minister that I misinterpreted and that there was no irritation about having this discussion in the chamber. It is important so that the whole country feels that one has value and that all companies and all residents have the right to a functioning everyday life.
I return again to the fact that the Minister said he assumes that Trafikverket is working on the issues and on developing its communication. It is good that the Director-General has this as a focus, because it is the case that it does not work in practice today. The Minister himself agreed with this when he referred to previous assignments and to the fact that he has visited many people who have been affected by this.
Then we must see that something needs to be changed. It may not just be about cooperation. It may not just be about communication in itself. Had I been granted the privilege of being a minister, I might also as a minister have made visits to areas where it does not work in order to gain an understanding of the experience of nonchalance that exists and what measures might need to be taken to then also do these things and give instructions in regulatory letters or in agency instructions to Trafikverket to improve and change.
What is it that is needed? Cooperation was needed, but different ways of working may also be needed based on where a certain project is to be carried out. It is perhaps not always a matter of having the same way of working when it is the same type of project that is to be carried out. If one is to replace a bridge out in the forest, one might need to work in a different way than if one is to replace a bridge in the middle of a village. It may be that one project needs to cost more than the other due to peripheral measures, because sometimes where a project is to be carried out affects more than what is to be done.
I also believe that the government needs to give Trafikverket the possibility to sometimes temporarily deviate from certain regulations in order to be able to meet what is in everyday life and so that it works during, for example, the bridge replacement in Vrena that I constantly return to. It is actually not just about my individual commitment in that area, but it is about commitment for all areas that are affected by these things.
In order for him to get some inspiration regarding measures that could be taken and which could have been taken if Trafikverket had had the tools in just this case - and to build knowledge and understanding - I thought I would offer the minister a visit to Vrena. The minister can choose any day he wants in August, and I will arrange a visit where we can together meet those who live in Vrena to gain an understanding of what needs to be changed in the regulations so that it will be better for everyone when important infrastructure projects are carried out.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I apologize for fiddling with my mobile phone - I started checking the calendar for August, but perhaps we should not do that live in the chamber. I will have to come back to that. I shall lead by good example and not stand here checking my phone, Mr. Speaker, but I want to point out that it was to check the calendar.
I want to emphasize that Martina Johansson and I share the view that all of Sweden must function. This is a priority for the government and for the department I work at. It is important to have a good and well-developed infrastructure and maintenance of the same. In that regard, it is also important with exactly what Martina Johansson pointed out, that is, that Trafikverket has a good dialogue with local and regional representatives.
I want to return to what I said in one of my opening remarks: This is already in Trafikverket's instructions and in the agency's mandate, and it is one of the points that we continuously follow up on with the agency.
When these types of investments are made, conflicting interests can understandably arise. It is therefore important that Trafikverket is responsible for holistic solutions and has routines and working methods to take into account influence and have a good dialogue locally and regionally. One might not always be happy with exactly how the design turns out, but if one has had a good dialogue and been met with understanding, it may be easier to accept the decision. This responsibility, with a focus on dialogue, lies, as stated, within the framework of Trafikverket's mandate.
Mr. Speaker! I will gladly check the calendar to see if it is possible to squeeze in a visit to meet these people. I am happy to meet people and organizations who feel discriminated against or experience that they are not being listened to. It is very important that the authorities also have this attitude, this way of working, and this approach. It is also part of their mandate.
I still want to emphasize that I do not need such a visit to be convinced that it is important for Trafikverket to maintain a good dialogue and work on this. This is done continuously and with a particular focus since the director-general took office as recently as last March. This is something that I follow closely.
I thank the member for the commitment and for the interpellation.
Martina Johansson (C)
Mr. Speaker! We can do calendar bingo when we come out of the chamber, but I wanted to make an offer from here.
The Minister returns to the dialogue. Yes – it is super important, but even if the dialogue works well, it is not certain that it will be good for the individual person. I believe we need other regulatory frameworks. This was what I was touching upon. The Government can give Trafikverket the opportunity to make the square box a bit more round and sometimes find other types of solutions that would work very well in the individual locality.
How are we to manage the railway? For a period of one year, this specific railway is closed. That means companies cannot receive deliveries. It means companies cannot receive customers. It means the school has difficulty keeping students in school. It is about the environment being affected because one has to travel four extra kilometers every day to and from work. It increases the cost for the individual.
If it had been possible to loosen the regulatory framework a bit, one might have been able to make a temporary crossing that would have facilitated things for both the entrepreneur and the person living there. It is therefore not solely about dialogue, but it is also about providing the conditions to be a bit more flexible and to be able to meet different investments in different ways in order to find the best solution. It doesn't matter how good we are at communicating if we do not have the tools to actually do well in the individual case.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I will not comment on the individual case. More generally, however, one must not downplay the fact that there are conflicts of interest in this type of project. Private interests can conflict with other private interests, and private interests can conflict with the public interest. That is what the Transport Administration has in its mandate to assess when planning and submitting proposals for infrastructure measures. But once a decision has been made, it is also important that the disruptions that occur during the construction period are minimized. In that respect, it is also important to have a good and functioning dialogue locally and regionally.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.