The Ministry of Transport is expected to reserve three million kroner to introduce the Rejsekort travel card on Bornholm, which has remained outside the national system since it launched.
Two Bornholm politicians from the Social Democrats say they expect the money to be earmarked for the island. DR reports that the expectation follows a national funding pool announced in late July 2026.
According to TV2 Bornholm, the ministry has told local politicians that it expects to reserve three million kroner for acquiring and introducing the card in Bornholm’s public transport. The outlet adds that the money must be spent in 2026.
Anne Thomas chairs the Environment and Business Committee in Bornholms Regionskommune. Lea Wermelin is a member of the Folketing for the Social Democrats, elected on Bornholm. Both told DR they welcome the news, but stressed that the funding is not yet certain.
Thomas said the message is that the island can expect the money, not that it is guaranteed. Wermelin said Bornholm residents should have access to the same solution as the rest of the country, per DR. The two politicians called on the state in July to cover the establishment costs.
The Rejsekort was first used as a pilot project in 2008, and by 2015 it had replaced the paper klippekort in several parts of Denmark. Since 2012 passengers have been able to check in and out across almost the entire country, with Bornholm as the exception. DR reports that the cost of establishing the system has repeatedly stood in the way.
Passengers on the island currently pay with klippekort, cash or the Rejsebillet app. The island’s bus operator, BAT, still informs customers that the Rejsekort cannot be used on Bornholm.
Formal decision still pending
The Ministry of Transport set aside 100 million kroner for Denmark’s regional transport companies in late July 2026. The final executive order on how the pool will be distributed has not been published, according to DR. It is also unclear whether the physical Rejsekort base card will come to the island.
Local outlet Bornholm.nu reports that a municipal committee is to consider a new zone and fare structure for BAT. The case documents are built on the expectation of three million kroner from the ministry. Thomas told TV2 Bornholm that the 2026 spending deadline leaves a short window for the political decision.
Bornholms Regionskommune expects the framework to be clear enough for fares to be set during the municipality’s budget negotiations for 2027, DR reports. TV2 Bornholm notes that the Rejsekort would also open the door to off-peak discounts and a more modern ticketing setup for the island’s public transport passengers.
An earlier assessment by the municipality, reported by Bornholm.nu in 2021, put the investment at up to about 3.9 million kroner, with annual operating costs of around two million kroner.
