Residents furious as buses and cars repeatedly damage neighbourhood green spaces in Skien

Residents in Skien’s Bergsland district have accused bus company Vy and private drivers of turning local green areas into parking lots, leaving deep ruts in the grass, Dagbladet reports. The public transport operator has apologised and pledged to address the issue after complaints.

A long-standing problem has escalated in the neighbourhood, where 76-year-old Roar Olsen and other residents say heavy vehicles—particularly Vy’s yellow buses—regularly park on grassy areas between homes, destroying the turf. Photos shared with Dagbladet show deep tire tracks and compacted soil, with some buses left half-sunk into the ground.

“It’s simply tragic to see what it looks like,” Olsen told the newspaper, adding that drivers often abandon their vehicles for hours. Despite a free public parking lot just metres away, he claims bus operators and commuters choose the green space “because they can’t be bothered to drive the extra few metres.”

The issue extends beyond buses: private motorists also use the area as a long-term parking solution, possibly to avoid downtown toll rings, according to Olsen. Some cars remain parked on the grass all day, residents say.

Neighbours describe Bergsland as a tight-knit community that maintains its own public spaces, making the damage especially frustrating. “We pick up litter, tend to the areas, and try to keep things nice,” Olsen said. “Then this happens, over and over.”

Vy confirmed to Dagbladet that the parking violates company policy. “We apologise to the neighbours and users of the area,” said communications director Åge-Christoffer Lundeby. “This is not in line with our routines. We are following up with the drivers involved to prevent future incidents.”

The story, first reported by Telemarksavisa, has sparked outrage on social media, with commenters demanding fines for offenders. One Facebook user wrote: “This shouldn’t be allowed. They should be ticketed.”