Response to interpellation 2022/23:414 on repair support after floods
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns repair support for individual road owners after floods. KD argues that Trafikverket is responsible for ensuring accessibility and that they have already redistributed 30 million kronor to assist those most affected 1. KD emphasizes that the current rules are old and that an investigation has been commissioned to make the support more cost-effective and reduce the administrative burden 1 2. S argues that the application process is complicated and based on first-come, first-served, which risks that the available funds will not be sufficient 3. S considers the regulatory framework to be inefficient and discriminatory towards smaller roads 4. S emphasizes that individual roads are a vital part of the infrastructure and that society must prepare for climate change 5.
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! Lars Isacsson has asked me in what way I and the government ensure that the needs for road repairs are an important part of Trafikverket's priorities. Lars Isacsson has further asked me if the government will be prepared to provide additional resources if the 30 million kronor, now within Trafikverket's budget framework, do not suffice.
The severe weather that has hit parts of the country during the summer has caused damage to, among other things, road and railway infrastructure. This has resulted in a need to repair and reinforce both roads and railways. It is part of Trafikverket's mandate to ensure that the state roads and railways are navigable and accessible, and it is important that navigability and accessibility can be maintained.
Trafikverket is responsible for the state transport infrastructure and for carrying out the maintenance and repairs that are needed. Trafikverket is also responsible for processing state grants for private road maintenance. Private road maintainers who receive operating grants can also apply for grants for specific operating measures from Trafikverket. These specific operating measures could, for example, concern measures to repair damages.
Trafikverket is working on receiving applications and compiling the needs that exist as a result of the floods. Trafikverket has already redistributed this year's remaining funds, approximately 30 million kronor, between the counties in order to be able to assist the most affected road authorities. Based on the funds that are available, Trafikverket will prioritize measures for the road authorities that have been affected by damages. I will continue to follow the situation closely in my dialogue with Trafikverket.
I also want to take the opportunity to mention that I have recently made a decision to carry out a review of the ordinance (1989:891) on state grants for individual road maintenance. The current rules are old and need to be reviewed in order to ensure that the support is cost-effective and contributes to long-term sustainable transport supply throughout the country.
Lars Isacsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank Minister Andreas Carlson for the answer.
Climate change is making society more vulnerable in many places. It can be about drought or, as for the summer of 2023, large amounts of rain and consequently floods. Several places in Central Sweden were hit hard. It has become particularly difficult for many of Dalarna's road associations. One example I intend to use today is the Lerdal-Gärdebyn road association in Rättvik.
Already the day after the floods, State Secretary Carl-Oskar Bohlin was on site. It was much appreciated, and it was good. The announcement was that the government promised support in the form of Trafikverket redistributing resources to the road associations. Through that, the road associations and the common property associations can apply for extra resources for repairs.
When speaking with the road associations in Dalarna, it appears that no announcements have been made yet. Trafikverket and the Minister for Infrastructure have announced that the 30 million kronor have been redistributed, but the application process for the road associations is on a first-come, first-served basis. Many are concerned that it is the one who is fastest who receives the most money for repairs, not the one who has the greatest need. Given the extent of the damage from the summer floods, there is a significant risk that the 30 million kronor will not be enough. For my example, the Lerdal-Gärdebyn road association in Rättvik has estimated that the cost for their repairs for one road is 2-3 million kronor. That is a substantial part of the 30 million kronor that Trafikverket has redistributed.
Mr. Speaker! Given the answers I have received, I have the following questions for the Minister. Is the Minister prepared to reconsider the sum of 30 million kronor to meet needs across the entire country? The Minister also mentions that Trafikverket will prioritize the most affected road authorities. What happens to the road authorities that are not classified as most affected? Roads with low traffic, often in rural areas, also have an important function.
Then I want to comment on the news that the Minister raised in his answer. It is good that a review of the ordinance on state grants to individual road maintenance is to be carried out, but Mr. Speaker, does the Minister have any answer on how we can expect to see concrete changes? Will the changes be retroactive so that it is possible to help the road maintainers who are currently affected?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Member Lars Isacsson for his commitment.
This is an important issue for the entire government, which the member is raising. He mentions Carl-Oskar Bohlin, who was quickly on site. In dialogue with Trafikverket, we could quickly see that this could be redistributed so that Trafikverket can have the resources that are now needed.
I cannot comment on individual cases regarding the road associations that the member highlights, but according to the information I have received from Trafikverket, the authority continuously collects applications and makes collective prioritizations in order to distribute the funds between the counties to be able to assist those most affected.
During the past week, 110 applications related to severe weather were registered. Approximately 80 of those applications had estimated costs for measures, and these currently sum up to a total of approximately 10 million kronor. It therefore looks so far as if the funds that Trafikverket has reallocated will be sufficient.
It may be worth noting that a road that is flooded or has been flooded is not by definition damaged. Many roads may dry up and become passable again without any major costly measures needing to be taken. The damage is greatest where the roads have a steep slope and the water has therefore surged forward and eroded the road body. The work on that is ongoing at Trafikverket right now.
I will continue to follow this situation very closely. This is, as said, an important issue, and the government is of course always ready to act if necessary.
We will, as the member and the other members of the Riksdag know, present a budget next week. I cannot anticipate it, but we will there demonstrate our overall economic prioritization. What I can say today is that we are, of course, always ready to act.
I am also pleased that the member has noted and thinks it is positive with the investigation that has been commissioned regarding specifically private roads. The private road network is the largest and most extensive road network and very important in large parts of the country. Having functioning private roads and a purposeful support system for them is, of course, important for the whole of Sweden to function.
Lars Isacsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
It was interesting with the figures that the Minister mentioned - 110 applications, 80 of them costed and an estimated cost of 10 million. Is it so that the 30 million is enough, that is very good.
It can also be that the application process is complicated. I have received some examples from the road associations in Dalarna. In the Lerdal-Gärdebyn road association, the road operation facility is divided into six different road sections with different classifications from Trafikverket. Requirements are set that one must make a calculation and cost estimation for each of these road sections. The grant that can be provided will then vary according to the classification that exists for each road section. This means that for the low-classified traveled road sections, grants will only be able to be issued that cover a smaller part.
The design of the support and the application procedure is therefore a major problem for the road associations. The regulatory framework for grants is inefficient. They feel that it leads to unnecessary administrative hassle that every part of a road must have a separate calculation. It delays the process and increases the workload for the already heavily burdened road owners. It also results in a lack of equality in the system for grants. Smaller roads can be discriminated against despite the cost of repair being the same regardless of the road's classification.
Mr. Speaker! My questions now to the Minister for Infrastructure are therefore whether the Minister for Infrastructure is prepared to ask Trafikverket to review the current subsidy system, which is clearly not adapted to handle exceptional situations such as those we have had this summer, and whether the Minister for Infrastructure considers that the current system, which requires different calculations depending on the road's classification, is the most effective way to manage this crisis.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I can agree here. Quite briefly: Given that we have decided on and appointed an inquiry whose purpose is to carry out a review of the regulation, the answer is yes, we are prepared to review it. We have already made that decision - the decision was made on September 7.
The current rules are old and need to be reviewed in order to ensure that the support is cost-effective and contributes to long-term sustainable transport supply throughout the country. It concerns both the administrative burden and that those who are road authorities, often associations, can receive support from Trafikverket, and also what measures may need to be put in place.
We know that a large part of the roads in Sweden were built before 1970 and have a great maintenance need. Therefore, it is important that the support here is reviewed, and the government has already decided on that.
Lars Isacsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! We are to debate the railway next week – I hope that there will be equally quick and concrete answers then.
These are not easy questions, but they are important for people in rural areas and in sparsely populated areas. Private roads are usually forest roads, village roads, or other roads that are not maintained by the municipality or the state. They are usually maintained by private road owners or road associations, and they can range from well-maintained asphalt or gravel roads to barely passable paths. And this does not only apply to Rättvik and Dalarna. Nor is it just a sparsely populated area issue, but it is an issue for all of Sweden. Almost 75 percent of Sweden's road network consists of private roads, which makes them a vital part of our infrastructure.
I think we have a responsibility now when the road associations are so clearly calling for help and the current system for applying for support is not adapted for acute situations, so I look forward to the new investigation. I hope that it can proceed with speed.
I would like to thank the Minister for this dialogue on solving these challenges. Unfortunately, this is not the last time we will see extreme weather with droughts and floods in the wake of climate change. The question then becomes how society should prepare and adapt. Individual communities, associations, or private individuals will not be able to manage this alone; we must manage it together.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! The Government's priority is to continue improving the infrastructure we have, repair where it is needed and manage our common resources in the best way.
We have a great maintenance need. There is a need for investments, and this concerns in particular the individual road network. I have great hopes that with the investigation that has now been commissioned, we will be able to obtain a basis to achieve an even better functioning system, and I look forward to good dialogue.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.