Professional transport and taxi

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! We are to debate the committee report TU9 Professional Transport and Taxi. It is a motion report where approximately 40 different motion proposals are addressed. The report also contains 13 reservations.

Mr. Speaker! All motions are proposed to be dismissed. This is not only because all proposals are bad, but because the government is already working on several of them. We do not need to give the government additional announcements to solve these tasks. Now, instead, we help each other to ensure that these measures are implemented.

Mr. Speaker! I and the Moderates have long worked to try to achieve better competitiveness for our Swedish trucking industry. Our companies, our jobs, and our growth depend on us having functioning transport throughout the country. It is also important that we have competitive trucking companies that exist and operate in Sweden and that drivers and companies pay tax in Sweden. It is a better deal for Sweden than for trucking companies and drivers to come from other countries and pay their tax in those home countries.

Therefore, we must safeguard and provide our Swedish trucking companies with the best possible conditions to compete. It is about taxes, fees, fuel prices, and long-term regulations. We in the Tidö parties are actively working to reduce taxes and fees. We have lowered the reduction obligation and ensured that Swedish trucking companies have more reasonable and competitive costs for their fuel.

Mr. Speaker! Another important issue is actual regulatory compliance. One must compete on equal terms, which means following driving and rest times, taking breaks on time, having trucks and equipment that comply with the laws in Sweden and being equipped to drive on Swedish roads even when winter road conditions prevail. This is what the Swedish trucking companies do, and they do it in a good way.

It is also important that those who do not follow laws and rules receive tangible punishments, so that one refrains from breaking the regulatory framework.

Mr. Speaker! The competitiveness of the farming industry can also be strengthened compared to foreign farms by having longer and heavier trucks. Here, it is important that Sweden, just like Finland, actively works to approve more combinations of longer and heavier trucks and also ensures that we have roads that can handle these combinations. That work is currently underway. It is important that municipalities are active in developing suitable roads and streets that can handle longer and heavier trucks.

Mr. Speaker! The clamping of vehicles must, of course, occur until the driver and the transport company that has been stopped have paid their fines and rectified the deficiencies. This is also something we are actively working on.

Raising fines is one way to go, but if the control activities do not work out on the country's roads and illegal transports are not stopped, it doesn't matter how high the fines are. Therefore, it is absolutely most important that illegal transports, drivers, and trucking companies are stopped. Today, this does not work, and illegal transports into and out of our country run a small risk of being detected. Preferably higher fines and sanction fees, but it must be in combination with better road controls! It must be prioritized to get rid of the illegal transports.

Mr. Speaker! Greater coordination is required between the police, customs, the Coast Guard, the Transport Agency, and the Swedish Tax Agency. The illegal drivers and their trucking companies have learned to exploit today's deficiencies in the system. They can thus continue to conduct illegal activities and illegal transports in the country and also outcompete legal transports. We are now working to prevent this and ensure that Sweden will no longer be a country for serious crime and illegal transports.

Mr. Speaker! We also need to review how the number of drivers can be increased. The shortage of drivers is a problem and has been for a long time. Here we need to take a more unified approach and review how we can make it easier for existing drivers to continue and stay in their jobs, but also how we get more people to choose the profession of driver. It is a challenge. We must take advantage of all the opportunities that exist to solve this.

The country's checkpoints need to function, and the police must have the equipment required to manage the inspection of commercial traffic in a really good way. This work is ongoing, and we look forward to this also becoming better.

Mr. Speaker! The number of safe rest and parking places needs to increase. We know that work is underway to both obtain more rest areas and increase the safety and well-being at the country's rest areas. It is not acceptable that some carriers use existing rest areas as camping and residential sites while waiting for new assignments. The rules must be followed, and compliance with the rules must be better monitored. For professional transport to be able to take their rest periods, a sufficient number of safe and secure rest areas are required. We know that Trafikverket is working on this, but we also want this work to be accelerated.

We want the handling of permits for long, wide and extra heavy transports to proceed as smoothly as possible. The Government already has a clear mandate on this, and we know that the Government is therefore working on the issue. We will receive an account of this in June 2024. Work is therefore also ongoing there.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to coordinating different competencies and authorizations on a card, we are positive about it as far as is possible. This is an issue that we are monitoring extra closely. It is not reasonable that drivers should have to carry amounts of different cards for different purposes in order to be able to perform their work. A greater coordination should be pursued.

Mr. Speaker! If Sweden is to be able to develop as an industrial and corporate nation where new technology can be developed and jobs created, we must have a functioning and competitive transport industry. Our transports must work. Roads and railways must be maintained. Sweden has long distances that cannot be solved with railway expansion, but we must have roads and transports that can function and that we can rely on in both summer and winter road conditions.

Mr. Speaker! Illegal competition is undermining serious haulage companies, which is completely unacceptable. More specially trained police officers are needed who can manage to stop the serious crime and the illegal transports on the country's roads. We are now actively working to try to solve this as well.

I vote in favor of the proposals in the report and against the reservations.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Sten Bergheden for the speech! The member touched upon very many important issues that we in the Transport Committee, of course, work with from our political positions.

A question that Sten Bergheden touched upon was about farming companies competing on equal terms. The Social Democrats naturally think that it is very important. When we governed 2014-2018, it was a priority issue. We also worked to get the mobility package in place. Now it is being implemented. In that case, it is important to follow up on it. Controls were needed, which the member also mentioned in his speech.

Another issue that we Social Democrats consider important regarding professional transport and the drivers is the working conditions for taxi drivers. There has been a debate surrounding the taxi industry. Former Moderate leader Ulf Adelsohn has called the deregulation of the taxi industry chaotic. We have demanded a comprehensive review of the taxi industry. Svenska Taxiförbundet has visited the committee, and they agree with us. We have a reservation in the report.

My question to Sten Bergheden is whether the Moderaterna think that there are good conditions for the drivers in the taxi industry.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! I can start with the mobility package. Of course, we will closely follow the implementation and the ongoing work regarding that matter.

Regarding the taxi industry, it was deregulated in 1990. Since then, we have had both bourgeois and Social Democratic governments - at least two Social Democratic governments, I believe - and none have changed those rules along the way. But even there we see the problems, and the investigation that has been produced and presented shows a number of deficiencies. Of course, we will keep an eye on this, because it is the same there as in the truck industry and the transport industry. There are illegal drivers and illegal taxi owners who run a business that competes out the legal business. We will, of course, keep a sharp eye on this so that it does not continue but is instead curbed as much as possible.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Member Sten Bergheden gave a very positive answer, but my question remains. The Social Democrats have, during many different interpellation debates, in many written questions, and now in this committee report, demanded that a comprehensive review of the taxi industry be conducted. That is, it has not been done since 1990.

Now we have a situation where the gig economy is growing, partly due to the app companies. In the debate about the industry, we hear that very many taxi drivers are unable to support themselves. To get a reasonable wage from the app companies, they must work more than 14 hours.

We are very happy that companies want to come here and establish themselves, invest and create jobs, but it is also important that they follow Swedish rules, have collective agreements and do as the parties in the labor market have agreed. That is not the case today. Member Sten Bergheden also knows that.

Some app companies claim that they do not have any employees and that the drivers are not employees. That is a problem in itself, and something must be done. May I interpret Member Sten Bergheden as that the government, the Moderates, and the government base will work to ensure that a comprehensive review of the taxi industry is conducted?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! We have had a Social Democratic government for eight years. We have a new government now with three parties governing and cooperating with the Sweden Democrats. During those eight years, the Social Democrats did nothing about the problem that Kadir Kasirga raises here.

Just to reassure those who work out there, I want to say that it is obvious that we see all the problems. Exactly how one will proceed is not for me to answer. But I know that the government is fully aware of the problems and will, of course, find good solutions moving forward to curb the illegal activities, including within the taxi operations.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ulrika Heie (C)

Mr. Speaker! It is impossible to miss the strong commitment to this issue, which Member Bergheden has championed for so many years, during the previous alliance government's time but also in opposition.

The member stated that they are working on the issue and wish to return to it. Regarding exemptions for certain vehicle transports, a proposal would be submitted sometime during the summer of 2024. Regarding rules, illegal transports, fines, police presence, and so on, I wonder when the member will make the assessment that we can see a change.

I am keen that everyone listening to the debate finds out when one can expect this work to land in either a government bill or, which I do not hope for, a new investigation. When can what concerns compliance and not least the important work that I know the members and also the government are driving in connection with illegal transports become a reality?

Those were my two questions.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! Just as Member Ulrika Heie says, the problems have been known for quite some time. I believe that over the last eight years, one has not addressed the concerns on the roads, but has instead just continued to let things roll on smoothly.

We see now that Swedish trucking companies are losing trucking hours. This is largely due to the economic cycle, that one transports less gravel, sand and other things. It is in any case a development that causes us to lose tax revenues from both companies and drivers.

The competition situation must be fair, and we must be able to compete on equal terms. A self-evident question must be that we must bring in tax revenues and not let them away to foreign countries unnecessarily when we ourselves can actually run them.

My and our ambition is, of course, to tackle the problems as quickly as possible. We are working on and discussing this. The ambition is, of course, that we should have some form of result so that we see a change by the end of this mandate period at the latest. That ambition clearly exists.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ulrika Heie (C)

Mr. Speaker! This report concerns professional transport and taxis, and there are very many questions within the area of the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. There are, therefore, many different issues to address.

I want to ask the member if it is a realistic assessment that there will be solutions in all the areas mentioned regarding illegal transport, regulatory compliance, skills development, and competitiveness. Otherwise, it is like listing everything up and saying that we shall do all of this. What does the member think is the most prioritized area to achieve concrete results in regarding road haulage?

We are not even halfway through the parliamentary term, and the member of Parliament suggests that it is not until 2026 that one will begin to see political proposals. Then we know that it will take a number of years until they also become a reality.

Since I know that the member is so engaged and also very knowledgeable in the area, I am eager to somehow deepen the discussion. What will be the highest priority, and when can we see it? Is there anything that the member hopes will be completed during this or next year?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ulrika Heie for the questions.

If one reads the report very carefully, one can clearly see that a good deal is actually already underway, so they will begin to be delivered already during the spring and also in the future. There are planned propositions and other things in this part.

Then there is the question of how we will deal with the illegal traffic out on our roads. The Social Democrats did not succeed with this during their period in government. It was believed that one could give mandates to authorities to control Swedish companies a bit more strictly. That was how it was supposed to be solved.

The deficiency is, as I took up in my speech, that one can drive into and out of the country without being stopped anywhere or just being stopped by an authority that does not check everything. One can then continue to roll out and bring in illegal money through drugs, smuggling, stolen goods and everything it can be in these contexts to finance their otherwise unprofitable transports.

We must address this part. That, of course, concerns the police and an even greater coordination between the police, Tullverket, Kustbevakningen, Transportstyrelsen, and Skatteverket. They actually have the mandate to truly scrutinize and go through these trucking companies to put a stop to this. Sweden is a country that has become a transit country for drugs. That testifies to the fact that far too much trash is flowing into this country that must be stopped significantly earlier. Above all, we must ensure that we put a stop to what is illegal regarding driving and rest times, drivers who drive with double driver's licenses, and other things. It is about getting controls on the roads and a part of the police organization that actually functions in this situation.

We are looking at such solutions and will, of course, come up with proposals that will have an effect during this parliamentary term.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ulrika Heie (C)

Mr. Speaker! A member before me spoke about the importance of professional transport issues and why it is a motion report where a rejection of everything is requested, which can be a question that one sometimes wonders about when listening to the debates. There is a lot in this area that is important to implement, which is also being done and which, regardless of the government, is being pushed forward.

From the Center Party's side, we naturally stand by our reservations. But for the sake of time, I would like to move for approval of reservation 8, Dispensation for certain vehicle transports.

There are some areas that I would like to highlight in my speech as being extremely important. Transport is a central part for a country that looks like Sweden, with such long distances and with opportunities for both production and trade. For us, it is of course incredibly important that there is a transport sector that functions. Then there is the supply of competence, just as the previous member mentioned, a very important issue that one works on, regardless of whether one sits in the majority or in opposition.

Another important issue is, of course, competitiveness and in what way one competes. Here, I would like to highlight a few things that I believe are incredibly important for competitiveness and for being able to develop transport efficiency.

Electrification is an important part, and the possibility of using AI for transport efficiency solutions of various kinds is another important part.

We were some members who had the privilege of meeting Svenskt Näringsliv this morning for a discussion on a number of important issues for the entire business community in Sweden. There, they highlighted competition and transport efficiency and the importance of this actually functioning.

Another important part in this context concerns the climate issue. I believe it is important that electrification proceeds, and I hope that the government will drive the issue in a good way. But at the same time, I am disappointed; the only solution linked to the fuels becomes to lower the price of gasoline and diesel, when we know that we would need to work for the alternative fuels, such as HVO and biogas, in order to create self-sufficiency. I am a bit sad that this does not come into the questions about professional transport in the way that would be needed. The entire transport sector needs to be a part of the green transition. We would need to lift this together in a clearer way.

The importance of order and tidiness becomes tangible when it comes to the regulation and control of the trucking industry. It is clear that certain parts of the report are particularly important to highlight, and it is about us on the Swedish roads and railways respecting all the rules that exist in our country. I do not need to mention the examples again, but it is of course incredibly important that the control functions that exist function and become as optimal as possible.

I also want to highlight the reservation that I moved for approval, Dispensation for certain vehicle transports. I am pleased that the government says that it intends to return to the issue during the year. But if one reads the report carefully, one can see that the work on the issue in the Government Offices is not scheduled. That was why, in the exchange of remarks with Sten Bergheden, I was so eager to try to find out when this is to take place. If an investigation is completed by the mid-year point, it naturally requires that one is very quick in the follow-up work, so that we in the Swedish Parliament can vote on a proposition that can then become reality; that is my hope.

I have great hopes that the government will work on this. Member Bergheden has been proactive in these issues, and other members from the Tidö parties in the Committee on Transport are also working very actively on them. We in the opposition also choose to bring up these issues, as they are important to us.

What I wanted to bring up in the speech was, in summary, the climate, electrification, AI, law and order, and exemptions for certain vehicle transports.

When it comes to professional transport and taxis, it is of course important to review all legislation. Member Kadir Kasirga mentioned in an exchange of remarks the importance of reviewing the taxi law, and there are a number of different areas that we will need to review politically in the future. We need to work on transport efficiency in all different parts. Here, there are opportunities to use AI to build bridges between things that are regulated in individual sectors today. Building those bridges is also about reviewing the legislation; today, certain types of transport are locked into certain laws.

I want to once again highlight that what we in the Center Party choose to prioritize first is exemptions for certain vehicle transports, even though regulation and control of the trucking industry is also a priority issue.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I move for the approval of the proposal in the report in its entirety. I will speak about important issues concerning commercial transport and taxis.

The first perspective I want to highlight, Mr. Speaker, is this matter of fair competition. Here we have achieved a lot together. Much that was debated during the previous parliamentary term, when I had the privilege of sitting on the Transport Committee, is being implemented right now, for example, the change of the reduction obligation and the review of taxes and fees. The clamping is also being reviewed, a major issue that we discussed very much during the previous parliamentary term. Changes also occurred then, and it was extended to up to 36 hours. But if one drives an illegal vehicle, it must of course remain stationary until it is rectified. If one has not paid their fine, one must remain stationary until it is paid.

Then, of course, there is more that can be done. If we are to strengthen road safety within this professional field, it is perhaps not always about speed limits, rails, and such, but more about the vehicles as such. One looks at who enters the country and when. Above all, compliance must be met. The Government is taking a number of measures for both customs and police. Even if this is not the subject of today's debate, it will have an effect for us. If we get better capacity at customs to inspect, it will lead to increased road safety. If the police get better capacity to control during transit, it will also increase road safety. Even here, Mr. Speaker, I see some positive things when I return to the committee like this, including that the ability to stop vehicles, weigh them, and see what is inside them is strengthened. We are many parties who have for a long time argued for such improvements.

To be completely honest, I am not satisfied, Mr. Speaker, but it will get better. I believe that is the feeling many Members of Parliament have, especially when they are in a government position. It is a bit easier when one is in opposition, because then one can attack and hunt all the time. In a government position, one actually does two things, and those friends who have been in a government position know this. On one hand, one defends the government, and on the other hand, one actually wants to reach a bit further.

A question that I myself have raised many times is the review of the fuel and vehicle taxation. I was quite alone when I started raising it, but today the party stands behind this. We want increased road safety and fair rules of the game. Then it cannot be that foreign drivers come here and avoid paying. We need to get better at those things. We need to look at the German model. They use a digital puck and charge for the wear and tear that one causes. The current situation implies a competitive difference, but it also affects road safety to the extent that it can happen that vehicles come from a bit further east with poorer quality and compete with our vehicles. In the long run, I believe that more parties and even governments, regardless of color, will look at that question, Mr. Speaker.

I have already mentioned the clamping. I am very pleased that tightenings have been made there. The interesting thing is that they, if I remember correctly, were made with a fairly large consensus when we finally arrived during the last parliamentary period. An investigation is currently underway which I hope will result in that this is addressed in an even better way.

Something that surprises me is the situation regarding our rest areas. This is an issue where I press on in various contexts, which I know many do. Sweden is a fantastic country, but we are not always fantastically good. I have for some time, Mr. Speaker, had the privilege of driving material to Ukraine. When one drives through Poland and sees how they have upgraded their transport network and their rest areas, one becomes envious.

There are a number of things that the Poles do and that I believe we could adopt. They prefer to place rest areas near restaurants and gas stations. They charge road tolls, something that I believe we will eventually have to discuss in Sweden as well, which ensures that there is funding for both the roads and the rest areas. There are good opportunities for changing and showering and for eating. They separate the vehicles, so that the trucks stand apart and other vehicles apart.

I think we are very good in Sweden, but sometimes we should also look at neighboring countries. There is more to be done here. I stand behind what the government is doing and move for approval of the proposal in the report, but it would be nice if we could become even a little better together. It affects our drivers' work environment and creates safety for them. It also creates safety for those who are tourists in Sweden - this is connected.

Mr. Speaker! I shall try to come in for landing, and I want to do that with the taxi industry. I sat on the Transport Committee from 1998-2002 and during the last parliamentary term, and I cannot recall a single year without discussion about taxis.

Mr. Speaker! I do not intend to keep talking about what that government did, what our government did, and what Nisse's government did. The taxi industry is an exciting industry. It is even a difficult industry. A major change is occurring.

Take all of this regarding the alternative taxi industry that has emerged through digital technologies. I am trying to avoid mentioning a company name. That is why it becomes a bit messy, Mr. Speaker.

Finally, a question arises: Who is the customer? It is often clear. It is I or someone else who enters data in an app. But am I simultaneously an employer when I enter data in the app?

Here we have a debate that touches upon the committee that I sit in today, the Committee on Employment. How do we view the new companies that are emerging? What is the company? Who is the service provider? Who is the buyer? Who is the employer?

I believe that the taxi industry itself will have to match some of this. Some of that we can certainly look at from a legislative perspective. But some of it is about the taxi industry itself having to become even better at competing with these companies by embracing the new technology themselves.

I was very happy when I listened to what Ulrika Heie said about AI and how one uses AI. I believe that AI will change the industry even more than what we are discussing today.

We have issues where we can do a lot in politics. But we also have issues where a cautious wait will show that entirely new systems are emerging. I believe that the taxi industry is such an issue. Just wait!

Some of us had the privilege of traveling to the USA last term to look at self-driving vehicles. What happens to a taxi industry when the vehicles drive themselves?

It also creates exciting questions about road safety. Let's say I go out to a pub one evening and perhaps drink one beer too many. So I order my own self-driving car to drive me home. Have I been sober enough to drive then? Or if I order a taxi from company X, which is self-driving and drives me home, am I sober enough to drive then?

There will be changes to the legislation that we will have to look at because there is a technological development occurring.

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the floor and move once again for approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are dealing with the Committee on Transport's report 9, Professional transport and taxi issues. I would like to take this opportunity to move for approval of the Social Democratic reservations 1, 9, 11 and 13.

Mr. Speaker! Soon half of the mandate period will have passed. In transport and infrastructure issues, proposals and bills unfortunately shine by their absence. The government started its mandate period by stopping the construction of new main lines and by abolishing climate premiums and climate bonuses for private individuals. This has prevented many from switching from fossil-fueled cars to electric cars, which would have been good for the climate transition.

This government has also seen to it that emissions increase in Sweden and that we as a country will miss the climate goals. We need to invest in sustainable transport both for private individuals and within commercial transport. But in addition to the environment, order and stability with secure employment are also important.

Mr. Speaker! For thousands of Swedes, the roads are the daily workplace. Just like at any workplace, Sweden's professional drivers must also be able to rely on being met with fair working conditions every day. But that is not the case today. It creates great risks not only for individual drivers but for the entire industry. Unserious actors dump wages and let the working environment fall behind. That is not how it should be on Swedish roads.

We Social Democrats have ensured that the mobility package has been put in place so that it will be easier for the serious transport companies. Therefore, the Social Democrats want a professional transport inspection to be established with the responsibility to increase inspections within professional transport, which will make it more difficult for the unserious companies.

We also have proposals to introduce regulations that facilitate for Swedish trade unions to demand Swedish wages and conditions in order to be able to negotiate collective agreements with the transport companies.

Mr. Speaker! That the right chooses not to vote for a Social Democratic proposal may not be seen as remarkable. The Sweden Democrats have previously had a high tone in these issues. But now we see that the Sweden Democrats choose to back down and take the lead. In favor of some unclear formulations in the report, SD has chosen to waive its previous principled reservations.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is dependent on functioning transport. We must be sure that those who work within the transport sector are not exploited. The taxi industry constitutes an important link in society, which enables people to use travel services, school transport, and medical travel as well as to make private trips.

The taxi driver ensures that the student in a wheelchair can get to school, that the pensioner gets to the health center, and that the person on sick leave can get to the grocery store. But the industry still faces several challenges that negatively affect drivers, passengers, and serious taxi companies.

Since the deregulation in 1990, the industry has been hit by extensive problems, where various app services distort competition by avoiding employer responsibility and dumping prices and conditions.

Mr. Speaker! It is time to tackle the problems and conduct a review of the entire taxi industry. We Social Democrats take the need for change within the taxi industry seriously.

One of the most urgent measures is to raise the requirement that road transport should only be carried out by serious actors. Price dumping, low wages and poor working conditions have become common features within the industry and have resulted in an extensive shortage of drivers.

Mr. Speaker! Failures in public procurement where tax funds are channeled to unscrupulous companies that win contracts based on minimal costs, low wages, unsustainable working conditions, and tax evasion are also a problem that must be taken seriously.

The rise of the gig economy has further worsened the situation and intensified the problems with drivers who do not get to share in the benefits of a secure employment contract. These insecure employments also cause significant economic stress and vulnerability for the drivers and, furthermore, constitute a safety risk for the passengers.

It is a significant risk that the price pressure results in quality deficiencies as drivers are not given sufficient conditions to perform their assignments or are expected to work unreasonably long shifts. This is unacceptable, especially for those who use transport services, school transport or medical transport and expect safety and security.

It is therefore remarkable, Mr. Speaker, that the government, despite the highlighted deficiencies, sees no need to carry out a comprehensive review of the taxi industry. We have pointed out the deficiencies on several occasions, but the responsible minister has unfortunately rejected the demand to carry out a comprehensive review of the taxi industry.

In this report, we submit a proposal for a comprehensive review of the taxi industry. I hear that many of the members think it is important to have fair competition and that it is important that the employees should have decent conditions. Now we have a proposal. We will see how the voting will go in this chamber later today.

It is time to not only ensure that rules guarantee fair working conditions, reasonable wages, and decent working hours, but also to review how the taxi policy needs to be developed, something that has not been done since the deregulation in the 90s. Without functioning transport for those who need it, it will become more dangerous and poorer in Sweden.

Mr. Speaker! Ordinary people must be able to rely on the transport that is needed for everyday life to function, especially in economically tough times. The government needs to act for a functioning taxi industry now.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I decided to request the floor when the high-speed trains were mentioned.

We are talking about road safety here today. All around our elongated country, winter is beginning and King Frost is loosening his grip, and unfortunately, that means we are seeing frost damage. We see how the forestry industry has major problems in certain places. We see how the asphalt has buckled and how even the road body itself in some cases has begun to take a beating.

If one has followed these questions over time, Mr. Speaker, one knows that the Riksdag in 1980 - in its wisdom or lack of wisdom - decided not to continue with an investment budget. Ever since then, the total maintenance, primarily on the roadside but also on the railway side, has been substandard. An incredible maintenance debt has accumulated. Drivers in traffic notice this maintenance debt every spring - actually all year round, but by the summer, most of the potholes have been fixed.

At the same time as it is, at the same time as we see how the road standard in the country falls under government after government, 80 percent of all transport investments are allocated to railways. It is exciting. 90 percent of all transports, including public transport by bus, occur on roads, but 80 percent of all investments occur on railways. We are therefore not solving the transport problems.

I am glad that the government has now started to adjust this a bit. Resources have been moved to roads. But how does my Social Democratic colleague view the fact that we, historically over time, let the roads deteriorate when they need to be refurbished?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for your contribution, Magnus Jacobsson! Magnus Jacobsson is one of the most seasoned and experienced in these matters and has also sat on the transport committee. I truly appreciate that the member, in his historical description, says that certain problems remain despite many governments having come and gone.

We Social Democrats think it was unfortunate that the right-conservative government stopped the construction of new main lines. There are problems with railway maintenance; we have particularly seen this during this year. The entire Swedish people have witnessed it. We have almost a railway at a collapse level. Even the Ukrainian railway runs better than Swedish trains. It is not acceptable. We should really refurbish the railway.

We need to invest in maintenance but at the same time also lay new rails. When we meet with the transport companies, they point out that there is a maintenance debt. But, they also say, even if we invest many billions to address it, we still must lay new rails to increase capacity. We believe that both parts must be done, in parallel and simultaneously. They should not exclude each other. This also applies to road maintenance.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I want to start by agreeing with Kadir Kasirga: The Ukrainian railway is functioning perfectly. I myself have been four miles from the front, left fire trucks, then sat on the train and traveled and arrived in Kyiv on time. We have a lot to learn there.

Then I would like to make a small correction, Mr. Speaker. The Government has not said no to new trunk lines. The Government has said no to high-speed trains, and there is a certain difference. A review is underway regarding where construction will be needed. I personally believe that, in the long run, one must look at four tracks from Uppsala towards Stockholm. One needs to look at sections such as Alingsås down to Gothenburg and the port there.

It is, however, more the principled question I am looking for. We are talking about road safety, but one of the most important issues for functioning road safety is that there is a road to drive on, preferably a road that can withstand the weight now that we are going to have longer and heavier vehicles. That is when we end up in this principle discussion. I have noted that the Social Democrats, Mr. Speaker, have criticized the government when it has moved money from railway to road. But then we have this power dynamic: 80 percent of all investments over time are spent on railway, but 90 percent of all transports occur on road.

This government has - cautiously in my opinion; I hope it can turn a bit harder - started moving resources so that we might be able to get the roads in order, where most transport takes place despite everything. It is therefore more of a principled answer, Mr. Speaker, that I am requesting from the Social Democrats: Will you continue to pursue a policy where 80 percent of all investments are to be on railways, which in practice means that traffic safety is left behind, that people who are to drive children to school are left behind, and that the countryside is left behind?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Of course, it is important for us Social Democrats that we invest in and investigate all modes of transport and do not pit them against each other. When it comes to transporting goods and also people, it is clear that roads are important. So they are. We also need to commit to and invest in road maintenance.

What we criticized when the current government moved money from railway maintenance to road maintenance was that when the government stated that there was chaos in railway maintenance and that we must invest in this, they chose to take money from railway maintenance and move it to the roads. That was what our criticism was about. One must choose and prioritize.

When we meet the transport companies and especially the trucking companies, they always say that they are on board when it comes to the climate transition. They really want to make such investments, switch their vehicle fleet to electric cars, have electrified roads and all that. What they need to see, however, is a clear and distinct political will. With the current government, the trucking companies unfortunately do not see that. They are now somewhat in limbo and do not know whether they should continue investing in electric cars and carry out the climate transition, since this government has chosen to prioritize fossil-fueled vehicles. The trucking companies are questioning that.

Both the road potholes and investments in roads as well as investments in the railway and all other modes of transport are important.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Morell (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I had to intervene in the debate as a couple of factual errors were made by the member.

Firstly, Member Kadir Kasirga claimed that this government is doing nothing. In that case, one still has to ask what the Social Democrats did during the previous mandate period. I then had several debates with a number of ministers from the Social Democrats about the problems out on the roads, about the growing criminal networks, and about how they operate. People talked: Yes, there were both ideas and other things. But nothing happened.

During that time, the number of inspection officers within the police decreased. It has never been as low as it is now. I often speak with my former colleagues within the police. The number of police officers in outer service who have an appointment for flying inspection is under 100. On paper, they can be up to 180, but those who are out on the road and performing the actual inspections are under 100. The number of vehicle inspectors is somewhere around 75-80, a figure that has been quite stable over the years.

It is these people who are supposed to stop the criminal activity out there. But the Social Democrats did nothing about this during the time they were in government. Instead, they allowed the control activities to decrease over time.

The mobility package that the member refers to actually came thanks to a Sweden Democrat down in Brussels. It was Peter Lundgren who started the work for the mobility package. The Social Democrat Jens Nilsson, who unfortunately is deceased, was involved and worked on this. It was thanks to those two that we got the mobility package that is now being implemented.

An accurate description of history would not have hurt.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Thomas Morell, for the questions!

Regarding the claim that the Social Democrats have done nothing in these issues, I would like to remind the member that it was actually the Social Democratic government that ensured the mobility package was put in place and began to be implemented.

It was also the Social Democratic government that ensured investment in the police's road checks. During the previous mandate period, they increased by 50 percent. We also tightened the cabotage rules from 24 to 36 hours.

Thomas Morell has sat in the Transport Committee for a long time and, I know, is passionate about these issues. But it is not true that the Social Democrats have done nothing, as the member says. The truth is that we have made very many legislative changes, and there is documentation of that.

What surprises me a little is that, despite the Sverigedemokraterna having maintained a high tone in the issue of the control of professional transport, one now chooses to abdicate and not leave any concrete proposal in the report. It is surprising, Mr. Speaker.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Morell (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I must begin by making a few corrections.

It was probably a slip of the tongue from the member when he said it was the cabotage that increased from 24 to 36 hours - it was the docking.

The increase of 50 percent did not concern the number of control officers but the number of cabotage cases that were controlled, and that was done following the criticism that had been voiced.

The high tail-wagging that the Sverigedemokraterna apparently have may be because I know what this entails. I have twelve years of experience in conducting controls of professional traffic, and the Socialdemokraterna's proposal is completely absurdly bad.

The proposal for a professional traffic inspection leads nowhere. It is quite obvious that you do not have a grasp of what is required to conduct a control of professional traffic. It is significantly more complex than your proposal. You are more than welcome to come and talk with me so that you can gain knowledge about what this concerns. I will more than gladly take you out to a control site, where you can speak with my former colleagues so that you understand what this is about.

It is not just a matter of stopping a car and thinking that you can check the driver's license, fine the driver, and then it is finished. It is when the car is stationary that the work begins, and then you must be able to know the entire traffic legislation regarding professional transport. It is about weights, load securing, dangerous goods, driving and rest times, tachographs, permits, and much, much more.

It takes approximately five years to train a control officer to perform full-scale inspections. It takes five years! That is when one understands the complexity of this.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the clarification from Thomas Morell on this issue!

I have absolutely no reason to question Thomas Morell's professional experience. But we Social Democrats meet the industry's actors, for example Sveriges Åkeriföretag and Transportarbetareförbundet - important actors, Mr. Speaker. We should also listen to them and hear what they think in these matters.

I know that both Sveriges Åkeriföretag and Transportarbetareförbundet think the idea of a professional traffic inspection, as we call it, is good. The Sweden Democrats can call it something else, but the basic principle is that we are to increase the inspections to tackle unfair conditions so that there is order and tidiness.

"The police are today heavily strained by the severe violence and it is therefore not likely that police are utilized for checks of professional traffic," Thomas Morell has said. The police have other, more important prioritized issues, but since these issues are also important, we propose a professional traffic inspection.

There are examples and models that can be looked at in Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom. You may call it something else, but the principle is that we increase control so that there is order and clarity on our roads for professional drivers.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! I had not intended to rise in the debate, but then a number of remarks were made by Member Kadir Kasirga that need to be cleared up.

First, I can say that if I had supported a government that, over eight years, had done so terribly little to address these issues, I probably would not have started my speech by standing up and criticizing a government that is now with full force tackling the problems that have not been addressed during these eight years. But it is good if we can agree on the actions now, member, even if you perhaps did not have that ambition in a government position.

Mr. Speaker! Member Kadir Kasirga then took up the high-speed train, this unfunded high-speed train that the Social Democrats pushed into the plan that lies before us. It was, therefore, not funded; it was calculated as unprofitable and pushed aside a lot of maintenance money. That is where we stand today. After the spring note, over 150 billion is missing in the plan that lies before us. We must now address that.

In that situation, the member begins to discuss that we should build high-speed trains. Therefore, my question to the member is: Does the member still believe that we should build high-speed trains at the expense of the maintenance funds, which now constitute a maintenance debt of 114 billion?

Mr. Speaker! The next part is the question regarding the Swedish Transport Administration. During eight years in government, the Social Democrats did not take on this issue. But now, in opposition, they have therefore concluded that they want a clearer management of the traffic out there.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Sten Bergheden for his commitment to these issues!

We in the Social Democrats have been very clear that many things need to be done when it comes to the railway. We need to address railway maintenance and at the same time increase capacity. Therefore, we need to build new railways, and therefore it was unfortunate that the right-conservative government stopped the construction of new main lines and railways.

When it comes to the financing, the government also saw that we lost billions from the EU through the stopping. There are other financing possibilities as well that we can chew over and discuss together, such as loan financing. The business community is out there saying that they are interested in making these investments. Then one has to set aside political boundaries and talk about this. We have, for example, proposed an infrastructure preparation to talk about and discuss these issues. We think it is important for Sweden's economic future and mobility.

When it comes to the other issues, I should say that during the eight years that we Social Democrats ruled, we ensured that much legislation was put in place, especially when it comes to order and tidiness on our roads. We can remember that before 2014 it was the Wild West on our roads, with unruly companies and so on.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sten Bergheden (M)

Mr. Speaker! I can then state that the Social Democrats have intended to continue building high-speed trains if they were given the opportunity to do so, at the expense of maintenance.

The second part that the member brings up is that order and clarity were achieved. In that case, it is strange, Mr. Speaker, that we do not notice this out on our roads today, if you now took such decisions that would actually provide order and clarity out there on our roads. It is a bit strange that we now have to tackle all these problems, if what you proposed had any effect.

A discussion during the 2014 election campaign was that we in the Alliance government did not "klampa" properly, when it was 24 hours that applied. If the Social Democrats were to take over, they would "klampa" properly. This "properly" meant that one added 12 hours so that it became 36 hours. The Social Democrats did no more when it comes to "klampning".

One thinks it is okay for a truck, after 36 hours, if it has not completed what it was supposed to - pay or something else - to leave the site and drive away. It becomes a longer daily rest for that driver, and then he can roll on. We want order in this. You had eight years to do it, and you failed to solve that part. All you managed to accomplish was 12 hours in eight years.

Mr. Speaker! Another part concerned the professional inspection. It is strange: One has sat in government for eight years and not achieved any form of activity within the police that addresses that part, and then when one is in opposition, one realizes that one might look at a professional inspection that is to address this part.

Where were all the proposals when you were in government? Or were you just satisfied with being in government and let everything flow on? I think it was deficient. We have lost eight years with the Social Democratic government.

We are tackling this now, and we hope to receive broad support to actually get at the illegal traffic out there.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Mr. Speaker! When we in the Social Democrats fought to get the mobility package in place, the Moderates accused us of protectionism. Now the member stands here and says that he favors order and tidiness on our Swedish roads. It is good and pleasing with that change of course, but the truth is that you have been against the mobility package.

When it comes to the commercial vehicle inspection, as I have also said previously, both Sveriges Åkeriföretag and Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet, two important actors in this industry, believe that it is important to have a commercial vehicle inspection. The police's resources are not sufficient to prioritize these issues, and in that case, we need to look at other models. There are other models in Norway, Germany, and Great Britain that we can look at.

In the consideration, we now have a reservation where we establish that a professional traffic inspection should be established. In this, we act based on the investigation that the Socialdemokraterna commissioned regarding controls on the road.

Sten Bergheden must stick to the facts a bit. Of course, the Social Democratic government has done many things and commissioned many inquiries. Now these inquiries are on your table, in your departments. I hope that the Moderates and the right-conservative government, together with the Sweden Democrats, take the good parts and implement the proposals that the Social Democrats have seen to produce.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Helena Gellerman (L)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are debating TU9 Professional Transport and Taxi.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is an industrial country where we build much of our prosperity on the export of goods from forests and mines. We have a multitude of different industries that process raw materials, where a large number of companies have world-unique expertise. We have a proud industrial history and a brilliant future, not least through the green transition of our industries.

For this system to work, it is entirely dependent on a well-functioning transport market. In addition to this, there is a long series of other transport needs, for example for welfare and our food supply.

The Liberals see all types of transport as important for Sweden's transport needs. Our road transport, however, has a unique position in the transport system through its flexibility. Road transport constitutes the glue in the transport system, where goods can be transported from the supplier directly to the customer or alternatively to a railway station or port. The trucking industry is of great importance for Swedish companies' freight handling and competitiveness and simultaneously provides many job opportunities all over Sweden.

The Liberals have high ambitions to achieve a shift of freight from road transport to rail and shipping, but with the current need for freight transport, the trucking industry will for a long time to come account for the majority of freight transport in Sweden.

Mr. Speaker! The Liberals work to facilitate a healthy industry in Sweden and therefore safeguard fair competition conditions and, above all, that the regulations are complied with. This applies to both the trucking and taxi industries.

Goods transport is cross-border, and there is fierce competition within the transport industry. Therefore, the EU's directives and regulations through the mobility packages are very important for Sweden, so that we have a regulatory framework that also applies to foreign companies and which supports serious haulage companies. This applies in particular to the extended requirements for GPS-based positioning systems that must be present in the trucks so that cross-border traffic can also be tracked inside the country. They are being introduced successively 2023-2026. Then it shall be possible to know when they cross a national border, and it shall be possible to see when they deliver their goods and where they are located in Sweden.

We must strengthen the work against foreign and Swedish haulage companies that conduct illegal activities. Regulations without follow-up are completely toothless. The police's increased powers must be paired with enough traffic police who can carry out expanded traffic checks, otherwise, the cheating with, among other things, cabotage, driving and rest times, and driving under the influence risks increasing. We also need to check the vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy and contain the correct equipment.

In addition to purely traffic-related requirements, trucks are also used for criminal activities. This can include the transport of drugs and stolen goods in and out of the country. Roadside checks and the customs' new expanded powers strengthen a sound trucking industry. The regulation simultaneously facilitates that the important coordination between authorities can be strengthened.

In addition to more traffic police who can increase the number of checks, the country's checkpoints and the need for technical equipment must be reviewed to facilitate the traffic police's daily work. The investigation on more efficient checks of commercial transport on the road to counter crime within the transport sector contains many good proposals.

Mr. Speaker! The driver shortage is a huge problem for the industry when it comes to both truck transport and taxi. A basic prerequisite for the recruitment of drivers is that the base does not decrease. A car driving license is a gateway to the truck driving license, but unfortunately, we see a declining trend in how many who take a regular B license. One of the problems is that fewer and fewer are ready and pass the driving test during the practical test. We need to change that, as the driving license is a gateway to jobs and reduced unemployment and at the same time solves the transport industry's and the taxi industry's driver needs.

The government is now reviewing the issue in order to break the negative trend. At the same time, the industry is doing some to solve this. There, I want to bring up the commendable initiative with the TV program Svenska Truckers. An increased interest in becoming a truck driver has been able to be seen after that series started. I believe it is important that we think a little bit outside the box to see other ways to get our young people to want to take these jobs in the future.

Safe rest areas are a prerequisite for increasing road safety on our roads. A driver must be able to rely on being able to rest according to the driving and rest times that apply without being subjected to theft. The rest areas must also not be able to be used as parking spaces over several days and thereby block the opportunities for other professional drivers to find space.

The EU has adopted new standards, and the government has tasked the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) with driving this matter. The Swedish Transport Administration has, among other things, conducted an inventory of all rest areas in Sweden during 2023, and now they have moved forward with two specific areas. The work will continue moving forward.

Madam Speaker! The agricultural industry, together with other actors, needs to participate in the transition to fossil-free transport. The margins are small, so cooperation between different industry actors is important.

There was a weighty reason why the Liberals took the initiative for the Electrification Commission and gathered the relevant actors. It was so that the expansion of the charging infrastructure in Sweden would develop in time and be able to facilitate the transition to electrification of the trucking industry.

It is important to know that 80 percent of all truck transports are shorter than 30 miles, which suits electric trucks very well.

The sale of new passenger cars has increased rapidly, and electric cars today account for about one-third of the cars sold. When it comes to electric trucks, we are in the starting pits. Sales are increasing, and at the current stage, a number of activities are being carried out to stimulate the transition.

The government has, in the budget for 2024 and the next two years, allocated over 5 billion to significantly increased grants for premiums for the purchase of electric trucks paired with increased support for charging infrastructure. They have also made a major investment regarding light trucks, which is a new grant.

Depot charging overnight is the most important charging infrastructure. Support can be sought via Klimatklivet, and depot charging has the advantage that it places the least load on the electricity grid.

The charging infrastructure along our roads and at rest areas needs to be significantly expanded at the same time. The charging points also need to be adapted to the specific conditions for trucks, not least so that trucks with trailers can easily access the charging point.

Light trucks become heavier when they are equipped for battery operation. This has further exacerbated the problem with the driver shortage. With a standard passenger car driving license, you are permitted to drive a vehicle weighing up to 3,500 kilos, but an electric-powered light truck can weigh up to 4,250 kilos.

The rules at the EU level are now being reviewed in the so-called driving license directive. It will be permitted for persons with a B-license to drive an electric light truck with a higher weight.

If we are to manage the climate transition, we must adjust rules and regulations so that they do not hinder it. It is, however, very important that we always take road safety into account on our roads.

The Swedish trucking industry is of great importance for Sweden's prosperity and for our preparedness. Therefore, the government is now taking step by step actions to tackle the illegal market and create conditions for a sound, green trucking industry.

I therefore move for approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Morell (SD)

Madam Speaker! I want to begin by saying that we Sverigedemokrater stand behind all our reservations in the report, but in order to save time during the voting, I move for approval only of reservation number 7.

Being a professional driver is a fantastic job. Just as MP Gellerman said, the TV series Svenska Truckers has prompted many young people to apply for the vocational training for drivers.

During my time as regional manager for Sveriges Åkeriföretag, we worked hard to get girls to become drivers. The young women who took jobs as drivers generally had lower accident frequencies and actually drove cheaper than the guys did for corresponding transports, so we worked hard to get young women to become drivers. I saw this week that the training programs have received an increased application rate for young women, and that is pleasing. We can hope that we turn the trend now and get more to become professional drivers.

Madam Speaker! The supply of rest areas along the country's roads is too small. Furthermore, the sites are often occupied by an extensive presence of various actors. These actors use the rest areas for various setups, such as waiting areas or as improvised camping sites. The limit of maximum 24 hours of use of rest areas is rarely respected, and it has become a problem for private motorists and for the professional drivers who must take their rest.

Trafikverket must urgently invest in additional locations along the major roads. Trafikverket shall also be tasked with rectifying deficiencies as well as working with safety and security. Monitoring must be tightened to curb violations of the maximum parking time, littering and pollution, and other, more serious crimes. The rest areas shall be the place where every vehicle driver can take their rest in a safe manner.

Madam Speaker! In recent years, the conditions for the serious farming industry have been debated extensively, not only here in the Riksdag but also among the general public. More and more people understand the connection between illegal freight transport and other criminal activities.

It has been noted in the media that stolen goods worth approximately 2 billion kronor are being smuggled out of the country annually, and that is only speaking of the goods that are insured. The road is the criminals' most important tool, and here the previous government has been more than lawfully passive.

We Sweden Democrats have for many years put forward the need for a well-functioning control activity on the road. Now we have a dialogue with the government parties about the need to develop the control activity. Effective control is important to protect serious entrepreneurship but also to make it more difficult for criminal networks to acquire economic resources.

Madam Speaker! I can note with pleasure that more and more parties here in the Riksdag are beginning to speak about a more effective control of professional traffic. That is good. More and more of us want to protect serious entrepreneurship within the transport industry and thereby secure the jobs that exist at the serious companies.

Combating illegal traffic also means significantly curtailing the criminals' ability to use the logistics system for their internal transport of smuggled goods and stolen goods. With effective controls, you throw sand in the gears for the criminals.

Madam Speaker! The Sweden Democrats want to upgrade the road checks and ensure that well-educated officials inspect professional traffic. We want to place the inspection activities in a special unit subordinate to the Police Board. The unit shall have its own management and its own budget. It shall not be linked to regular police activity but have its own given mission, to perform checks on the road. The transport agency's company inspections shall also be placed in this unit.

Talks are now being held with the government regarding a more efficient control activity.

Madam Speaker! An important part of the transport sector is our taxi companies. They live in a situation where the competition from illegal taxis is fierce. The serious taxi companies are in need of support from society, that is to say, controls.

I received the following email a while ago from a business owner in the taxi industry:

Hi Thomas! I am writing this email to you and SD because there is no other party in the Riksdag that can get things done. The taxi industry in Stockholm is in free fall. The app companies have destroyed the entire market - dumped prices, tax evasion, human trafficking, abuse of the rest period regulation, and so on. LO, Transportstyrelsen, and Skatteverket are doing nothing about the matter. Someone must take action on this. It cannot look like this in Sweden 2024. Please, raise these issues in SD and the Riksdag!

This was an emergency call from an entrepreneur in the taxi industry. This is the situation for very many out there, not just in the taxi industry but also in the trucking industry, which is in an incredibly difficult position in the competition with the companies that do not follow the regulations. Now it is truly time for a change!

Madam Speaker! With an effective control activity underway, with well-trained officials, Sweden can once again offer the serious transport industry decent conditions. We also get the opportunity to limit the criminal networks' ability to utilize our infrastructure for criminal activities.

Madam Speaker! Today is the spring equinox even though we have seen some light snowfall outside. We are heading towards spring and summer, but winter is not over yet. We can state that the maintenance of our winter roads has been catastrophically poor, with accidents and major disruptions as a result. The situation is unacceptable, and many of us have pointed out to Trafikverket that they are failing in the most fundamental part of their mission, namely to keep our roads passable. Certainly, the weather can sometimes be overwhelming, but it can hardly be snow chaos across the entire country at the same time.

The incident on the E22 came as a gift from above, as even the media understood how poorly the maintenance of our winter roads is. Our roads are a workplace for very many professional drivers. The roads are also a vital part in the supply of our industry. Traffic stops ultimately mean stops in important production.

I spoke quite early this winter season with a haulage owner. He had eight trucks out on the roads. All the trucks came to a standstill because the roads were not passable; there was snow and ice on them. He was lucky and was not hit with a fine, which is otherwise quite common if one does not deliver the goods on time, but only had costs because the trucks stood still with the drivers sitting in them. This stop cost him 26,000 kronor, and this concerned one affected hauler. When traffic on major routes such as E22, E20, E4 or E6 stops as soon as there is a little snow, millions fly away at a frantic pace for society.

We cannot afford to have a system that cannot handle a normal winter day, regardless of whether we are talking about roads or railways. We must have a significantly more stable infrastructure. We have now begun this work, and I sincerely hope that within a few years we can see a difference in the direction regarding the maintenance of both roads and railways.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank Member Thomas Morell for his speech. I had not intended to request the floor, as I thought we had debated during my own speech. But I heard the Member speak about the rest areas and want to emphasize that I agree that a review needs to be made in this area.

On Monday, I was together with my group leader in the Transport Committee, Gunilla Svantorp, at Transportarbetareförbundet in Örebro and drove around to rest areas to see what they look like. It was mentioned that there are even saunas at the rest areas in Finland, but we do not even have shower facilities for professional drivers, which is important. I have no question for Thomas Morell there.

The Chairman also mentioned distress from the taxi industry. There has been a debate about the challenges that exist in the taxi industry. We have had visits from Svenska Taxiförbundet and meetings with various serious actors, such as Taxi Stockholm, which have collective agreements. It is tough right now, and the serious companies are subjected to unfair competition from the app companies' side.

We in the Social Democrats have submitted a proposal. We believe it is time to conduct a comprehensive review of the taxi industry. Will the Sweden Democrats support our proposal to conduct this review?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Morell (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the questions!

We can start with the rest areas. They are extremely important so that the drivers can pull in and get their rest - or their daily rest, as that can also be the case. The rest areas must be safe, and there must be toilets to go into. We have had great problems with them being vandalized, so Trafikverket has locked the toilets. A review must take place here, and there must be some form of surveillance so that this cannot occur. The female drivers also do not want to pull into the rest areas, because they are not safe. A major rethink must be made when it comes to rest areas - expanding them but also ensuring that they become safe.

When it comes to taxis, this has been a huge problem for many years. I left the traffic police in 2007, and the controls were already scaled back at that time by the police leadership. There were various reasons for choosing to do this, but the effect was that it became a free market for those who wanted to cheat. It has created a situation where the serious entrepreneur is simply wiped out. When you and I then want to take a taxi, it is not certain that there is any available. There might not be any taxi available for special transport services and the like.

This is a concern. What we want to do is to ensure that we get controls of the professional traffic. There is legislation, and one can report those who do not follow the rules. We must ensure that we get rid of those who do not follow the rules, who do not have permits and who crawl downwards when it comes to both wages and compensations. We have seen examples of how people have had to work more or less around the clock and still hardly have water for the porridge. This is not acceptable, but we must start with the controls on the way.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kadir Kasirga (S)

Madam Speaker! I want to start by saying that I agree with Thomas Morell: More controls on the road were needed. That is something we Social Democrats also want to stipulate. Then, a professional transport inspection is needed that can carry out these controls and ensure that the actors operating within the transport sector follow Swedish law and Swedish conditions for professional drivers.

The chaotic situation prevailing within the taxi industry requires a comprehensive review of the industry. One must take a stand now. It is not enough to just offer words; they must be backed up by action.

We in the Social Democrats have not seen any proposals from the government or the government's support base regarding what they intend to do about the irregularities occurring in the taxi industry.

I really hope that the Sweden Democrats keep their word and their promise, so that it does not become like this with the Road Traffic Inspectorate, where one has somewhat abdicated in order to get a formulation into the report. It is a formulation that actually says nothing. I can read it out: "The committee views positively that several of the proposals, with certain adjustments and additions, may be implemented in order to increase and streamline the inspections on the country's roads." It says "may be," and here I think the Sweden Democrats have been misled.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Morell (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Kadir Kasirga, for the questions! No, we have not been misled. Now Kadir Kasirga has not had the opportunity to read the proposal that we have authored regarding road safety, but it will probably come a day when you have that opportunity.

The basis is that we have legislation that states what we have to abide by as entrepreneurs, as employees, and as ordinary citizens. It is the police, prosecutors, and ultimately the court that shall prosecute those who do not follow this. If we are to reach those who do not follow the regulatory framework, we must have a regulatory authority. In that case, a professional traffic inspection is not sufficient; one must have control personnel who have the entire toolbox at their disposal. One must report those who do not follow the regulatory framework.

One must have all opportunities to prosecute and also, if necessary, resort to violence. That could also become relevant. Therefore, we want a special control unit that sits directly under the police leadership. They must become so sharp that they can pick out people who do not follow the regulatory framework.

It is often said that a skilled traffic police officer can detect a vehicle that is not following the regulations from a distance of two kilometers. The one standing by the roadside develops a sense for what is right and wrong. Those who have not worked in that activity find it difficult to understand how one can develop such a sense, but if you have been involved for a while, you become good at sorting out what you want to get a grip on. Therefore, it is important that we have a well-functioning control activity focused on this in order to be able to tackle those who cause misery in society. It costs society an enormous amount, and it also involves human suffering.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Linus Lakso (MP)

Madam Speaker! We usually, for the sake of time, only demand approval of a reservation, and it was simple for me today because Miljöpartiet only has one motion in this matter. I move for approval of reservation 5.

There are many important issues that have been debated here today. However, I thought I would start by talking a bit about our motion in this report. It is about reducing emissions from transport by supporting regions and municipalities in their work with fossil-free transport.

To support the work of municipalities and regions, Miljöpartiet proposes a regional support function. Simply put, it is about facilitating the practical use of the so-called four-step principle. It concerns transport efficiency and transition.

This is a proposal that has been investigated in a background document for the 2023 climate policy action plan on local and regional transition, which the County Administrative Board in Uppsala County has been responsible for. The proposal is called regional mobility and accessibility coordination function. Perhaps a more catchy name can be found in the future.

It is about funds and tools for the regions to implement measures that reduce car dependency, favor walking, cycling, and public transport, and take advantage of digitalization's opportunities for remote meetings. This can include training, campaigns, and trial activities, and supporting municipalities in their planning for a transport-efficient society as well as regional cycling strategies and being a point of contact towards Trafikverket.

Madam Speaker! This was a rather specific proposal and a small piece of the important transition we face when it comes to moving away from fossil fuels in the transport sector.

But let us broaden the perspective a little. We are in a serious situation. We have an ongoing climate crisis. We already see today how people both in Sweden and around the world are affected by extreme weather. It can be anything from flooded basements, washed-away roads and blown-down forests to hurricanes and dying coral reefs.

At a time when we need to reduce emissions significantly, we unfortunately have a government that is doing the opposite. For the first time in 20 years or more, we have a government that deliberately and actively makes decisions that lead to increased emissions and drive climate change.

We see consequences all around Sweden and in the world. We have seen severe floods in Skåne and in cities along the Norrland coast. There have been severe storms that have had a major impact here and now. So it is happening here and now, but even more, we need to take responsibility for future generations and the future. In that case, it is completely the wrong way to go to increase emissions.

Several investigations point to the need for, among other things, transport efficiency to reach Sweden's goal that greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport shall be reduced by at least 70 percent by 2030 at the latest. The SOFT investigation from the Swedish Energy Agency contains a long series of good proposals and describes solutions within all three areas that are important. It is about transport efficiency but also about electrification, energy-efficient and fossil-free vehicles and, not least, renewable fuels.

Just electrification is an area that several government representatives have emphasized as important to achieve the transition. It is surprising when the government then implements a policy that leads to the opposite. We have seen how electrification has been abruptly halted. The sale of electric cars is decreasing.

This morning I attended Fossilfritt Sveriges conference, which gathered the transport industry – trucking companies, truck manufacturers and those who procure transport – and there was a great deal of concern and disappointment that politics is not managing to deliver long-term rules of the game. When the conditions change significantly, all calculations for investments and other things are called into question. The criticism was quite stinging: Less populism and short-sightedness, was a statement from a CEO of a larger company. I can unfortunately only agree.

There is quite a lot to be desired from the industry when it comes to long-term rules of the game. This is also, as many pointed out, about Sweden's competitiveness. It is about being at the forefront of technological development and seeing where the world is headed. Then one can develop new technology, which the truck manufacturers are already doing. They do need a market for their new products. A long-term perspective was needed, which we unfortunately lack today. It is primarily this that I want to call for here today.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 18.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)