Improved frequency on bus line 701 from 1 January. Terje Aamodt

This is part of the new contract for bus lines in Molde and Gjemnes, signed with Vy Buss AS in July 2023.

In connection with the route planning for the new contract, an analysis of the traffic for the bus lines in the contract was conducted. The report from the analysis recommended that line 701 should have increased frequency during rush hour, as many people use this bus line to commute to work.

"We are pleased to offer departures every 15 minutes on line 701 during rush hour," says Malene Hammerstrøm, contract adviser at FRAM.

"This is important to meet the growth in residents in the district east of Molde centre. Many people here use the bus to work and school, so an improvement in the service here is positive for many."

Route Changes

To make it possible to increase the frequency for line 701 within FRAM's financial framework, some changes to the route of this line must be made:

The report recommended removing Djupdalen from line 701, so that this bus line runs between Kvam and Dyrhaugbakken in Årølia. The reason for the recommendation is limited demand in Djupdalen, and that there are other bus lines with regular frequency that can serve the route. From January 1, 2025, Djupdalen will be served by these bus lines:

• 240 Midsund–Molde
• 531 Molde–Hollingsholm–Malmeskiftet
• 561 Aukra

The change will affect some of FRAM's customers in Djupdalen:

In the eastbound direction, the buses will stop at the Djupdalen Vest stop. In the westbound direction, they must stop at the Kringstad stop. The reason for this is that it will not be traffic-safe for bus lines 240, 531, and 561 to stop where line 701 stops today. They would obstruct the view for other traffic.

This means that from the new year, travelers from Djupdalen will have the same walking distance as today, while travelers to Djupdalen will have an additional 700 meters to walk to the bus stop.

No Longer Serving the Airport

In addition to the change in Djupdalen, line 701 will no longer serve the airport.
For travelers by bus to and from the airport, the bus stops along E39, Årøhagen, and Årøkrysset must be used from January 1, 2025. These are about 450 meters from the terminal at the airport.

"Costs, time consumption, and the relatively short distance to the bus stops along E39 mean that we unfortunately can no longer offer to serve the airport," says Hammerstrøm.

"The increase in frequency on line 701 is unfortunately not possible without cutting out Djupdalen and the airport. We see that this will result in a longer walking distance for some of our passengers, and this is of course not positive. But the overall bus service in Molde will be improved from the new year, and we are confident that many will find it easier to use the bus," she concludes.