Abdul-Hamid: Postal code coming

The minister explained that such a code “will facilitate the efficient and effective location of buildings for the purposes of postal deliveries, emergency operations and utilities services management.” Noting that TT Post has been taking steps to improve the country’s postal service infrastructure, Abdul-Hamid said: “This is aimed at providing increased access to postal services and ensuring a more timely and efficient delivery of mail.”

“In order to ensure that all citizens have access to proper postal services, in particular the attainment of an efficient postal delivery system, the exact location of addresses is critical,” he stated. Minister Abdul-Hamid observed that notwithstanding the small size of this country, “ not everyone is aware of the location of towns and villages.” “There is a great dependence on word of mouth and the use of landmarks along with various numbering systems. which are not always present or visible,” he said.

Abdul-Hamid further stated that factors such as population growth, changes in land use, housing development and industrialisation have rendered this informal system of addresses “increasingly inefficient.” The minister said while TT does not have a standardised address structure, there is consensus that “a standardised format for addresses” contributes to a reliable address information system.

Stating that such a format must be developed carefully so as not to cause any confusion in the system, Abdul-Hamid said one proposal was for a postal code to be placed as the “last line of existing addresses.” The minister explained that there were several benefits to the implementation of a postal code in the country. One of those benefits was “decreased emergency response times” by the Police Service, Fire Service and ambulances once an exact address could be quickly ascertained.

Public utilities such as the TT Electricity Commission and the Water and Sewerage Authority will be able to use the postal code to monitor the quality of the service they provide in different communities and make adjustments where necessary. The minister said the code will also assist bodies such as the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the Central Statistical Office to obtain reliable data in terms of voter registration and census results respectively.

He added that TTPost, Fedex and DHL will be able to use the code to improve the processing and delivery of mail. Abdul-Hamid said the system will be field-tested before it is officially implemented. The total cost to develop the postal code system is $496,000