only one way, as the bridge is the only road connection to Askøy. In 2003, the Public Road Administration took initiative for the Askøy Bridge to use the Autopass electronic toll collection system. The national standard was planned implemented simultaneously in the Bergen Toll Ring, the Askøy Bridge and the Osterøy Bridge. This eliminated the need for a staffed toll booth and allowed cars to pass without stopping. The cost-saving would allow the toll collection period to end one month early. Autopass would allow for an annual saving of NOK 6 million. The proposal resulted in opposition from a group of locals, who collected 9,000 signatures in a petition to keep the manual collection system. The old system allowed people to purchase discounted tickets for NOK 60. While people who signed an agreement with Askøybrua AS were granted the same discount, this would not be true for people who had an agreement with other toll companies, and did not sign an additional agreement to receive the discount. The petitioners were concerned that they no longer could purchase tickets for friends visiting them from the mainland, as these would only receive the discount if they signed an agreement with Askøybrua. On 22 December, the toll company voted to introduce a dual system which would both allow Autopass and the old tickets, although it would be a more costly system to operate. On 23 January 2004, the Public Roads Administration announced that they would allow all cars with an Autopass chip to receive the 30 percent discount, even if they had an agreement with a different toll company. Autopass was introduced on 2 February. In its first year of use, the bridge saw an average daily traffic of 5,000 vehicles. By 2006, this had increased to 10,000. The toll on the bridge stimulated a higher public transport share; while there was in 2006 a 20 percent public transport use in the Bergen Region, transport from Askøy to the mainland had a 35 percent share. The bridge was paid off and the toll plaza removed on 18 November 2006. NOK 1.2 billion had been collected in tolls through 23 years. In 2007, the bridge had an average 14,634 vehicles per day. Future The bridge was built wide enough that the pedestrian path can be converted to a car lane, allowing for a three lanes. In the municipal transport plan published in 2007, it