Anne-Lise Karlsen was going to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to get new signs and vehicle cards for her new car. She thought this would be an easy matter, since she had had her appointment confirmed and reminded of the agreement with a text message. But it was not that simple.
The hour was agreed until Thursday morning at 12.15, at the traffic station at Storslett, which is the administration center in Nordreisa municipality in Troms and Finnmark.
– Very dangerous
Drove 240 km
Anne-Lise got in the car and drove away from Skibotn. The stretch is about 120 km, and it takes about three hours round trip.
– But on the front door there was a large note written in red that the traffic station was closed due to illness, she tells the newspaper Northern Lights, who first mentioned the case.
Karlsen did not give up immediately, but waited a while to see if there was still hope. While she was waiting, two or three other people arrived who were also met with a locked door.
– Quite annoying
– I knocked on the door to see if anyone was there, but no response. Everyone had to go with an unresolved case, and it was quite annoying. It is a public agency that will serve our customers. The most rude thing is that they sent out an SMS so that I had to remember the class, then they could have sent out a message that the office was closed due to illness, Karlsen told Dagbladet.
Anne-Lise Karlsen tried to contact the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in several different ways when she had first driven the 120-kilometer-long road.
Not good service
– I tried to call them, but then I was put to Oslo, waited for five minutes on the phone before I was offered to be called again. Of course, no one called me back. It is very annoying and not exactly what I would call good service, she says to Dagbladet.
– It is the pinnacle of arrogance from a public agency, she says.
She sent an e-mail asking if it was possible for them to send the signs in the mail so she avoided a new ride. It’s not possible.
Was denied “offensive” license plates
– Everyone can make mistakes and no one can be master of disease. A nice lady from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration called and apologized for what had happened, but they could not send the signs in the mail. I think that was bad, says Karlsen.
She first thought about going to the traffic station in Tromsø, but since she got an earlier class at Storslett, she decided to use it.
– In retrospect, it turns out that I should have booked classes in Tromsø, but I could not know that in advance.
Anne-Lise finally had to make a return trip without a sign and wagon card for her new car.
– I checked again if there was anything, but the door was still locked, and then it was just to go back to Skibotn. Now I just hope to get the summer car on the road before it starts to snow again, she says with a laugh.
New trip of 240 kilometers
Now she has to take a new trip to Storslett before she can use the new car.
– I got a new class on Tuesday. I asked if they were sure if anyone was at work then, and they confirmed that it would be.
– But maybe you call in advance and check?
– It does not help, then I will just be sent to Oslo. The whole thing is just tragicomic, says Karlsen – who is excited about what awaits her on Tuesday.
Sorry
– It is unfortunate that Anne Lise has ended up in this situation. The magnificent traffic station currently has only one employee, and in the event of illness we sometimes have to close. In this case, we did not have the opportunity to keep the station open.
This is what office manager Annichen Hansen Solvold at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration North says Northern Lights.
She states that SMS is normally sent to customers when hours are canceled.
“Unfortunately, this has not happened in this case, and we are checking this to be sure that this will not happen again,” she told the newspaper.
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