Bastø Fosen
Encyclopedia
Bastø Fosen AS is a shipping company that operates the Moss–Horten Ferry
, the most trafficked ferry route in Norway
. The company, which operates the three ferries MF Bastø I, MF Bastø II and MF Bastø III, carried 1.3 million cars and 2.5 million passengers in 2006. The crossing takes 30 minutes, and the ferries provide two departures per hour throughout the day in each direction, with reduced schedules on the weekends.
The company is a subsidiary of Fosen Trafikklag
, and received concession
to operate the ferries from 1995, after the former company Gokstad did not offer as good a deal for the authorities. For the first two years traffic was performed with two leased ships. In 2003 Bastø Fosen received concession for operations until 2015, after the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
had rejected a competing offer from Stavangerske
. The route is the only in the country not to receive any operating subsidies. Bastø Fosen used the concession extension as collateral for ordering the new ferry Bastø III. In 2008 Bastø Fosen announced they were interested in increasing the number of ferries to four. The Public Road Administration has launched plans to build a tunnel under the fjord to replace the ferries, estimated to cost ; in comparison a bridge would cost NOK 15 billion. A tunnel would have to be financed as a toll road
.
MS Bastø I and MS Bastø II are identical ships delivered in 1997 for the takeover of the route. They have a capacity of 200 cars and 550 passengers and were built at Fosen Mekaniske Verksted.
MS Bastø III was delivered in 2005 in conjunction with the second concession period. With a capacity of 212 cars and 540 passengers, she was built at Remontowa Yard in Gdansk
.
Moss–Horten Ferry
The Moss–Horten Ferry is an automobile ferry on Norwegian National Highway 19 that connects the counties of Østfold and Vestfold at the quays of Moss and Horten. The crossing of Oslofjord is performed with three double-ended ferries operated by Bastø Fosen, making the crossing in 30 minutes, with...
, the most trafficked ferry route in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The company, which operates the three ferries MF Bastø I, MF Bastø II and MF Bastø III, carried 1.3 million cars and 2.5 million passengers in 2006. The crossing takes 30 minutes, and the ferries provide two departures per hour throughout the day in each direction, with reduced schedules on the weekends.
History
Fosen Trafikklag
Fosen Trafikklag is a company operating buses and ferries in Trøndelag and Østlandet in Norway. In total the company has approximately 750 vehicles and 16 ships, though numerous of them operate by subsidiaries.The company is owned by Torghatten ASA-History:...
, and received concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
to operate the ferries from 1995, after the former company Gokstad did not offer as good a deal for the authorities. For the first two years traffic was performed with two leased ships. In 2003 Bastø Fosen received concession for operations until 2015, after the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
Norwegian Public Roads Administration
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the state and county public roads in the country. This includes planning, construction and operation of the state and county road networks, driver training and licensing, vehicle inspection and subsidies to...
had rejected a competing offer from Stavangerske
Stavangerske
Stavangerske is a defunct Norwegian ferry operator based in Stavanger. A subsidiary of Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskap , it operates car- and passenger ferries primarily in Rogaland county. The company's ferries with less than 100 seats are operated by Fjordservice...
. The route is the only in the country not to receive any operating subsidies. Bastø Fosen used the concession extension as collateral for ordering the new ferry Bastø III. In 2008 Bastø Fosen announced they were interested in increasing the number of ferries to four. The Public Road Administration has launched plans to build a tunnel under the fjord to replace the ferries, estimated to cost ; in comparison a bridge would cost NOK 15 billion. A tunnel would have to be financed as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
.
Fleet
MS Bastø III was delivered in 2005 in conjunction with the second concession period. With a capacity of 212 cars and 540 passengers, she was built at Remontowa Yard in Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
.