Waiting groups in a waiting group
Reykjavik residents live in constant waiting. The waiting groups in the majority of the Reykjavík City Council have a waiting policy in all areas. Waiting in traffic, waiting for a preschool space, waiting for maintenance of streets, sidewalks or school buildings. Waiting for snow removal, cleaning and garbage collection and general maintenance. Waiting for service at service centers. Waiting for more affordable apartments. Waiting for solutions, waiting for responsibility.
Please wait.
The waiting policy consists of making residents wait. The longer and more often, the better. Let's look at the traffic. Major traffic improvements on Miklubraut and Sæbraut were supposed to be completed 2-5 years after the signing of the previous transport agreement, but in the updated agreement, the waiting parties specifically agreed that Reykjavík residents would always be next in line. This was to ensure that residents would wait for the next two decades for measures to be taken to address the traffic jams. By reducing the number of lanes on Suðurlandsbraut in the name of the city line, it is envisaged that traffic will move to Sæbraut when it is overcrowded and waiting times in traffic in the Ármúlaherfi district will be significantly longer. The main premise of the city line is that the community will sit still in normal traffic and wait and watch the city line cars move without delay. The majority's waiting policy also involves people waiting for street cleaning and road maintenance despite the fact that particulate matter then exceeds health protection limits.
All service representatives are busy.
Repairing broken sidewalks, emptying overflowing trash cans, or repairing broken streetlights can all wait. City Hall is aware of the problem and is discussing moving the work to a later date, after a “reasonable” waiting period when residents stop being picky and making ridiculous demands. Expecting the city to salt the streets in a timely manner when weather conditions are expected to turn paved roads into skating rinks is not in line with the waiting policy. Taking real precautions in salting would save many people the opportunity to wait for long periods in the LSH emergency room due to ice accidents. People can also always be advised to wait at home until the ice disappears.
We apologize for the delays.
The city's school buildings were in serious need of maintenance over a decade ago. But they hadn't waited long enough for maintenance measures. Most municipalities took advantage of the boom to make improvements, but in Reykjavík, school administrators were told not to ask for anything unless it was small. Now every other preschool in the city has been closed due to damage and mold. Having staff waiting in unusable buildings sends a clear message, and the exodus of educated people from the preschool system is therefore no wonder. Due to the lack of housing and staff, thousands of families are waiting on a waiting list for a preschool place, while at the same time, the waiting groups are reaching out to the private sector, which has sought cooperation to open daycare facilities and preschools.
The waiting groups are experienced in excuses and explanations of why the wait is in everyone's best interest. The companies could not be trusted and only cold-hearted parents would not accept the wait. The solution is always mentioned along the way, even if the wait continues.
Your call is important to us.
In fact, there seems to be a certain competition in the city system regarding how long you can wait for service, and many city departments and divisions have adopted a policy of not being reached by phone. The Health Inspectorate is probably the winner, as the phone is not answered at all and anyone who wants to reach the institution by phone has to wait forever.

Estimated waiting time is …
Reykjavík is not a poor city or a small municipality without resources, but the capital of the country, with high incomes, strong infrastructure from ancient times and a skilled workforce. What is lacking is not ability but priorities and political will. Residents should not have to be patient for decades. They should not have to accept stagnation. They have the right to a city that works, not a city that promises to work someday after a long wait.
Good city governance is about getting things done. About solutions and results. About solving problems when they arise. The waiting groups have had a long time to decide. They have been mandated based on promises but take it for granted to keep people waiting for fulfillment. They have been given funding. They have been given opportunities. Reykjavík does not need longer waiting times and more reports. It needs a city council that delivers results. Leadership that dares to execute and puts residents first. Let's put the waiting groups on the waiting list this spring.
