Five municipalities approve updated transportation agreement in Reykjavik metropolitan area

Five out of six municipalities in the Reykjavik metropolitan area have approved an updated transportation agreement. Only Seltjarnarnes remains to confirm the agreement, which was signed by representatives of the state and municipalities in August.

The Seltjarnarnes town council discussed the updated agreement on Wednesday and referred it for further consideration later this month. This municipality is the only one that has not yet ratified the update, with the delay attributed to requests for a legal opinion on certain obligations related to the agreement.

In a recent decision, two council members from the Independence Party in Seltjarnarnes stated they would not support the agreement in its current form, echoing concerns voiced when the original agreement was approved in 2019. A majority of municipalities ratified the updated negotiations by late September, with Reykjavik leading the way on September 17, when council members from several parties, including the Social Democrats and the Left-Green Movement, voted in favor. However, four out of six Independence Party members, alongside the Socialist and People’s Party representatives, opposed it.

Kopavogur was next to approve the updated agreement unanimously on September 24, followed by Mosfellsbær and Hafnarfjörður, which also supported the update the following day. Subsequently, on October 3, Garðabær’s council ratified the updated agreement unanimously.

Overall, the framework for the transportation agreement is aimed at improving travel and transport in the region, although the finalization awaits approval from Seltjarnarnes.