Minister of Transport of Norway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minister of Transport of Norway
Incumbent Jon-Ivar Nygård since 14 October 2021
Ministry of Transport
Member of	Council of State
Seat	Oslo
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	Monarch with approval of Parliament
Term length	No fixed length
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Norway
Precursor	Minister of the Interior
Formation	22 February 1946
First holder	Nils Langhelle
Deputy	State secretaries at the Ministry of Transport
Website	Official website: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/sd/id791/

The Minister of Transport in Norway is a very important job. This person is a top advisor to the government, called a Councillor of State. They are also the head of the Ministry of Transport.

The current Minister is Jon-Ivar Nygård from the Labour Party. He started this role in 2021. This ministry is in charge of many things that help people travel and communicate.

They handle postal services, telecommunications (like phones and internet), and civil aviation (air travel). They also look after public roads, rail transport (trains), and other public transport like ferry services. This includes ferries that are part of national roads and coastal shipping.

The ministry works with several agencies and companies. These include Avinor, which runs airports, and Vy, which operates trains. Other important groups are the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. They also work with Norway Post, which delivers mail. There are also groups that investigate accidents and oversee air and rail safety.

What Does the Minister of Transport Do?

Keeping Norway Moving and Connected

The Minister of Transport is like the chief planner for how people and goods move around Norway. Their main goal is to make sure that travel and communication systems work well for everyone. This includes everything from sending a letter to flying across the country.

Roads, Rails, and Airports

One big part of the job is managing Norway's roads and railways. This means planning new roads, maintaining existing ones, and making sure trains run on time. They also oversee airports and air traffic control. This helps people travel safely and easily by car, train, or plane.

Mail, Phones, and Ferries

The minister also looks after postal services, so your letters and packages get where they need to go. They are involved in telecommunications, which means making sure phone and internet services are available. In a country like Norway, with many islands and fjords, ferry services are also a key part of their work.

History of the Transport Minister Role

How the Ministry Began

The job of Minister of Transport was created on February 22, 1946. This was when the Ministry of Transport itself was formed. Before this, transport matters were handled by the Ministry of Labour.

The first person to hold this important position was Nils Langhelle. He was also from the Labour Party.

Who Has Held the Job?

Since 1946, 28 different people have served as Minister of Transport. They have come from six different political parties. The Labour Party has had the most ministers, with 16 people holding the role.

The Centre Party has had five ministers. The Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Party have each had two ministers. Only one person from the Progress Party has held the job.

Longest and Shortest Terms

The minister who served the longest was Kjell Opseth from the Labour Party. He was in the job for almost six full years! On the other hand, Lars Leiro from the Centre Party had the shortest time in office, serving for only four weeks.

A Minister Who Returned

Interestingly, Lars Leiro took over from and was later replaced by Trygve Bratteli. Trygve Bratteli is the only person who has been Minister of Transport twice. He also went on to become the Prime Minister later in his career.

Images for kids

• 

  Nils Langhelle, the first Minister of Transport.

• 

  Trygve Bratteli, who served twice as Minister of Transport.

• 

  Erik Himle.

• 

  Håkon Kyllingmark.

• 

  Reiulf Steen.

• 

  Johan J. Jakobsen.

• 

  William Engseth.

• 

  Kjell Opseth, the longest-serving Minister of Transport.

• 

  Odd Einar Dørum.

• 

  Terje Moe Gustavsen.

• 

  Torild Skogsholm.

• 

  Liv Signe Navarsete.

• 

  Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa.

• 

  Marit Arnstad.

• 

  Ketil Solvik-Olsen.

• 

  Jon Georg Dale.

• 

  Knut Arild Hareide.