As of March 1st, the public bus service provider of Iceland (Strætó) has changed its rules regarding pets on Reykjavík buses. People are now allowed to take their animal friends onto public buses in the capital area.
Pet owners have long lobbied for the rule change which has now entered into a one yer experimental phase. That means this time next year an ultimate decision will be made if our furry friends are indeed well behaved enough for the rule to become indefinitely cemented in the rule book.
While it’s safe to say that it will be mostly dog owners who are going to be taking an advantage of the new rule, one local woman, Jónína Sif Eyþórsdóttir, decided it would be fun to see if her horse Stormsker would enjoy a short ride on one of the iconic yellow buses.
As you can see in the photo above, Stormsker was very well behaved on his adventure. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows Stormsker since he is one of the most popular and friendly horses at Jónína’s horse rental, Iceland Riding.
What the new rule means
Certain conditions apply as pets will not be permitted on buses during the morning and afternoon rush hours (from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00). People are also only allowed to bring one animal along and they must be at least 18 years old to do so (the humans that is, animals of all ages are more than welcome to travel).
Smaller animals must be kept in a carrier bag or a cage whereas larger dogs have to be on a short leash and next to the owner. Ultimately each pet owner bears full responsibility for the animal and has to make sure it doesn’t disturb any of the other passengers or the driver.
Stræto (the public bus company) will not be charging an extra fee for pets.
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