There are 538 inhabitants in the village of Skibotn in Troms. In the center is a petrol station, a Joker shop and a small police station. And soon a passport office. Now the government wants to open 15 passport offices around the country. The offices are to be fully financed by increasing the fees on passports and ID cards. But the Troms police district has never wanted a new passport office in Skibotn. They point out that the place already has a passport offer with the traveling passport bus for the police. – No, it is not an input that came from us. The Passbussen has Skibotn as a stop, and actually wanted an extension of that service, says police inspector Stina Bakke Eriksen in the Troms police district. – But where does the desire for a passport office in Skibotn come from, then? – It is a question you have to direct to the political side. I can’t answer that, she says. There are 538 inhabitants in the village of Skibotn. Political decision Norway has two passport buses. They started rolling two years ago. One runs in southern Norway, and the other runs in northern Norway. The buses will give residents in the districts shorter and easier access to passports and ID cards. This is a passport bus The passport buses are mobile passport and ID offices that run between various stops throughout the country. The system is flexible and stops can be changed as needed. The police have two passport buses that cover Northern Norway and Southern Norway respectively. The buses have approximately 45 stops around the country. Source: Norwegian Police Directorate Many residents have made use of the traveling passport offer. The passport buses processed around 9,000 passport and ID cards last year, according to figures from the Norwegian Police Directorate. The passport buses give people who live far from a passport office the opportunity to order a passport and ID card close to where they live. Photo: Olav Røli / news But the government does not want more passport buses or more frequent visits, as the Troms police district advocated. – I don’t think it is right that the state and services should only come running when it suits the state, but there must be something that is available to people when they need it, says Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl. Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl says it is a political decision to establish the passport offices. Photo: William Jobling / news She states that the Norwegian Police Directorate has provided input on where the passport offices should be located. – We have largely followed that advice. But it is a political decision that we will have new passport offices, she says. – But the passport bus has not been fully booked in Skibotn. Is there really a need for a passport office there? – It is not certain that it will suit everyone when the passport bus stops by. And that is why I think it is so important that we have good services permanently available for people, not just substitutes for centralisation. We are working towards centralisation, says Mehl. – The most satisfied news audience has been with the passport bus to Husnes in Vestland in December. The residents there have obtained passports when the bus stops by, but Husnes is on the government’s list of places to get the passport office back. There are just over 2,200 inhabitants in Vestlandsbygd, and this autumn they were visited by the passport bus for four days. – We brag about having the most satisfied audience, I think. People are very happy to have this service so close, says Hjørdis Lyssand. Hjørdis Lyssand in the West police district is administratively responsible for the passport bus. She is very satisfied with the arrangement. Photo: Olav Røli She works in the West police district and is administratively responsible for the passport bus. – What happens to the passport bus if several passport offices are reopened? – Then we have to reassess the driving route we have had. And of course we are open to taking in new places. Even if someone gets a passport office again, we certainly have enough places we can travel to, she replies. Marit Opsanger has taken the trip to arrange a new ID card. She is happy that Husnes will have a permanent office, and believes that accessibility will be more flexible for the residents. – It was even better when the passport office was here at the police station, because then you could better choose the time, she says. Marit Opsanger is happy that Husnes will soon get the passport office back. Photo: Olav Røli Station chief Sigurd Børve at Kvinnherad police station in Husnes is also positive about getting the passport office back. He believes the passport bus has not worked well enough. – The pass bus is here very few days a year, and the need is not covered by it. Then you have to book appointments elsewhere, for example in Stord or Odda. – I think it will be good to get the passport office back. It is a positive thing we can contribute to the local environment, he concludes. Station chief Sigurd Børve at Kvinnherad police station in Husnes is looking forward to having a passport office in Husnes. Photo: Olav Røli
ttn-69
538 people live in Skibotn – now they will soon have their own passport office – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
