A 50-year-old Oslo Taxi driver faces up to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman during a specialized transport service in September 2024. The case exposes serious gaps in Norway's safeguarding of disabled passengers who depend on monopolized taxi services.
The incident occurred on September 27 when the woman, in her 30s, used Oslo's TT-oppdrag (Norway's specialized disability transport system) twice in one evening. This door-to-door service provides rides for people with disabilities who cannot use regular public transport. During the second trip, the driver allegedly coerced the woman into sexual acts, according to the indictment filed with Oslo District Court.
Monopoly creates vulnerability
Oslo Taxi holds the exclusive contract for TT-oppdrag services in the capital, meaning disabled residents have no alternative provider. "Citizens who need special accommodation and have been granted TT cards are forced to use Oslo Taxi," politiadvokat (police prosecutor) Lo-Johan Melinder told VG. This monopoly position makes the assault particularly serious, as victims cannot simply switch to a competitor.
The woman's bistandsadvokat (legal representative), Eirik Gjerstadberget, confirmed she has stopped using the TT service entirely since the assault. "She has had difficulties using the TT service afterwards. Now she no longer uses it. This has given her major limitations in everyday life," he said. For someone whose mobility depends on this service, losing access means losing independence.
Police initially investigated the case as rape but reduced the charge to "sexual contact through abuse of position" under Section 295 of the Criminal Code. This distinction matters legally but not practically for the victim, who remains severely affected.
Pattern of inadequate vetting
The charged driver was previously investigated for a similar incident in 2014, also while working as a taxi driver. That case was dropped due to insufficient evidence, but the pattern raises questions about Oslo Taxi's screening procedures. According to NRK, another Oslo Taxi driver was recently charged with both a 2012 rape and a 2024 assault, with DNA evidence linking him to the earlier unsolved case.
Oslo Taxi's marketing director Anders Berg called the 2024 incident "totally unacceptable" and said the driver was immediately suspended. The company claims to have "the industry's strictest training course" and "full control of where the cars are and what they do." Yet multiple sexual assault cases involving their drivers suggest these controls are failing.
The TT system's structure compounds the problem. While some specialized routes use designated drivers with extra training, regular TT trips can be handled by any Oslo Taxi driver with a kjøreseddel (taxi license). "We don't have the ability to know which passengers are traveling on TT cards before they pay. Therefore we cannot have designated drivers for these assignments," Berg explained.
Politiadvokat Melinder argues Oslo Taxi bears special responsibility for vulnerable passengers. "They have been given a task to manage a municipal service. Then they should have higher requirements for who drives their taxis," he said. Yet the company deflects responsibility to police licensing procedures.
Police attorney Maria Weider told Avisa Oslo she is investigating additional sexual assault cases connected to taxi transport in Oslo during autumn 2024, involving both Oslo Taxi and Bolt drivers.
The driver's trial begins in June. Without mandatory background checks for TT drivers or competition in the market, Oslo's monopoly system will continue putting vulnerable passengers at risk while shielding the company from accountability.