In rural communities, post offices have closed by the hundreds in recent years.
So, to offer this service to residents of the most isolated areas, a multi-service truck is currently being tested in several departments.
TF1’s 13H boarded one of them in a rural area of Creuse.
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The weekend
On the small roads of the Creuse, here is a new post office, entirely mobile: it is a brand new truck, which we discover in the TF1 report at the top of this article. “It’s my office and it’s the best office you can have. We do nine villages. Two villages per day: one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and one village on Saturday morning,” explains Fabrice Bourriquet, customer manager of the mobile post office.
9 m² with everything needed for a real post office
The latter are often isolated, more than five kilometers or 20 minutes by car from a traditional post office. Inside, the nine square meters offer all the usual services to users: purchasing stamps, sending mail or parcels and even photocopies. All payable in cash or by credit card.
It’s an interesting service because not everyone necessarily has a car.
Eugénia Calvet, deputy mayor of Saint-Pierre-Bellevue
“It’s surprising! It’s an interesting service because not everyone necessarily has a car, old people and young people alike”notes Eugénia Calvet, the deputy mayor (SE) of Saint-Pierre-Bellevue in Creuse. “Since our countryside is deserted and people have difficulty getting around, it’s a good thing”, declares a local resident. Another resident of this village agrees: “These are habits to adopt, it won’t work overnight, but I think it’s a great initiative”.
On board the truck, residents can also prepare their appointments with various public services such as taxes or France Travail. “So that the client can go directly and in one go, not having to go back and forth, to bring their papers directly. That everything is ready, whatever the process”details Fabrice Bourriquet.
A secure and protected truck
There are ten public operators in total, plus the possibility of withdrawing money via a mobile ATM, unique in France to date. “It’s a service, that’s for sure. It’s the first time I’ve seen that”confides this woman.
However, withdrawals are limited to 150 euros for security reasons. This does not prevent the truck from benefiting from reinforced protection: “This truck is first geolocated. It has on-board video surveillance. We also have a blocking system. As long as the agent is not inside, the truck does not leave”says Isabelle Cancalon, operations manager at La Poste, in the Guéret sector (Creuse).
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