The Swedish Transport Administration receives harsh criticism after the queue on the E22

The Swedish Transport Administration receives scathing criticism in the County Administrative Board Skåne’s independent report.

Among the shortcomings, the County Administrative Board points to unclear division of responsibilities and communication between the actors involved.

Now the Swedish Transport Administration is commenting on the investigation.

Yesterday, the independent report commissioned by the County Administrative Board of Skåne to investigate the winter’s road chaos on the E22 was released.

In the report, the Swedish Transport Administration receives scathing criticism. Despite snow and wind warnings from SMHI the days before and early alarms about the traffic problems from the police, it took two days before the situation was resolved.

The investigation: There was a lack of a clear picture of the situation

The investigation states that the Swedish Transport Administration quickly received information about the traffic problems, but did not manage to form an opinion about the situation themselves.

During the day of chaos, the actors involved failed to cooperate effectively.

“All actors thought that the Swedish Transport Administration had the lead, except the Swedish Transport Administration themselves,” a county administrative director has said, according to memos that P4 Malmöhus has seen.

The County Administrative Board lists three reasons that were particularly significant for the chaos.

Partly, there was a lack of a “clear situational picture” in the initial stage.

There were also challenges to “compile and communicate” the situational picture during the collaboration.

Finally, there were difficulties with the division of responsibilities between the authorities.

Trafikverket: Failed to understand the scope

The authority has carried out its own investigation. The picture shows that it was unclear who would do what and that they had no idea of ​​the seriousness of the situation.

The Swedish Transport Administration states that it will conduct a thorough analysis of the Scania County Administrative Board’s independent investigation.

– We have not seen this external evaluation before, but we welcome it. We will read it and do a thorough analysis afterwards, says Anna Wildt-Persson, Regional Director of the Swedish Transport Administration.

Wildt-Persson says that the Swedish Transport Administration was prepared for the extreme winter weather and that there was information about many traffic incidents in Skåne. Among other things, staffing at the traffic center had been increased to deal with the incident, according to Wildt-Persson.

– But we failed to understand the extent of the problem at an early stage. There is no single actor who can solve a situation like this alone, she says.

It is about a lack of knowledge about each other’s mandate, according to Wildt-Persson.

The investigation highlights your authority’s mission to ensure that the roads are passable all year round. According to the principle of responsibility, it is therefore you who “should have taken responsibility for leading and coordinating the crisis management at E22”. What do you think about it?

– The principle of responsibility means that whoever has the responsibility normally has it in a crisis. In the first joint collaboration, which involved evacuating road users with tracked vehicles, the rescue service was appointed to lead the operation.

“We are not satisfied”

Do you think the Swedish Transport Administration took its responsibility on the E22?

– I think that all actors, the Swedish Transport Administration included, have things to improve. Both the current situation and cooperation. It is also about the fact that we do not have knowledge of each other’s responsibilities and mandates and it is important to know what and who has a mandate for which situation.

– But we are not satisfied. I don’t think any actor is, she says.

Many who sat in line were frustrated by the lack of information. What do you tell them?

– We use the media and radio to get traffic information about the situation. I understand that you are very frustrated and that it felt scary when you sat there. It was very difficult to leave a forecast.

The Minister: E22 a failure

Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson calls the incident at the beginning of January a failure.

“The handling of the events on the E22 at the beginning of the year cannot be described as anything but a failure,” he writes in a comment to TT.

Daniel was stuck for 19 hours

Daniel Lauritsen, 46, was stuck in the car queue for 19 hours, which also P4 Kristianstad reported on. He thinks they should have been better prepared.

– I don’t know what the solution would have been. But relief in the form of liquid and food had helped a lot of people, he says.

He was on his way to work when he got stuck on the E22.

– All of a sudden the cars on the highway stopped driving and you couldn’t see much because of all the snow. After an hour, the queue moved a bit. I get 100 meters but then I stand for 19 hours, he says.

“Feeling ignored”

He says the frustration was great over the lack of information.

– You didn’t get any information about what was happening. We wondered if help will be mobilized such as helicopters or tracked vehicles. Many were frustrated by it.

– We felt a little ignored there. If you had been on a shipwreck, you would not have wanted help to take this long before someone made a decision.

Daniel believes that the situation was extreme and says that he has never experienced anything like it.

– No one dared to make a decision. I know to this day why nothing was done before. It took seven hours before I saw the first blue light, he says.

“A thousand kroner for a cookie chocolate”

The longer they had to sit in line, the thirstier and hungrier he became.

– At one point I got so desperate that I rolled down the window and picked up ice to eat. I was so thirsty.

After 19 hours, a wheel loader finally arrived at Daniel’s car and was able to shovel away the snow that had accumulated in front of the cars.

But still without having received water or food.

– I could have paid a thousand kroner for a chocolate biscuit or a bottle of water. But I still wasn’t one of those who missed important flights or trains because of the chaos, he says.

THE FACT It happened on E22

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