Commuters on Singapore’s East-West Line (EWL) may soon spot Singapore Post (SingPost) staff lugging around a suitcase full of mail on the train.
The postal service provider is starting a trial where postmen will collect and transport mail by MRT.
Source: Stellar Lifestyle
They will travel during off-peak hours.
The mail by MRT initiative was announced by SingPost and Stellar Lifestyle in a media release on Monday (24 June).
They said the postal collection pilot will kick off on Tuesday (25 June) and last for three months.
It was agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between SingPost and Stellar Lifestyle, which is a business arm of SMRT Corporation.
In the trial, up to two SingPost staff selected as “Mail Ambassadors” will bring postal items to SingPost’s sorting facility, which is near Paya Lebar MRT station, every day.
Source: Stellar Lifestyle
They can be identified by their SingPost uniforms and will travel on the EWL from Tampines and Raffles Place MRT stations, riding in MRT cabins with other Singaporeans.
The Mail Ambassadors will be travelling during off-peak hours, between 11am and 2pm.
SingPost will pay normal MRT fare rates like any passenger, a Stellar Lifestyle spokesperson told The Edge Singapore.
That’s because this is only a pilot study.
Market demand will be assessed after the pilot, the spokesperson said.
SingPost will still be using its delivery vehicles, as the trial is meant to complement its existing fleet.
However, this will be the first time SingPost is using MRT trains for postal collection, with the statement saying:
The pilot is designed to study the benefits of utilising MRT trains to collect postal items in terms of operational cost efficiencies and carbon emission savings.
Stellar Lifestyle president Tony Heng said the company is committed to “promoting a more sustainable way of living, working and operating businesses”.
If the pilot is successful, there are plans to expand the trial to more train stations across all other MRT lines operated by SMRT, i.e. the North-South Line, Circle Line and Thomson-East Coast Line.
SingPost Chief Executive Officer Shahrin Abdol Salam said the collaboration will continue to bring convenience to consumers by strategically situating service points along key transportation nodes.
In March, the first standalone POPStop opened at Tampines MRT station. It’s a dedicated service counter that assists in shipping and returns of e-commerce items.
Source: Stellar Lifestyle
More of them are slated to open, with locations determined by SingPost to provide greater convenience to customers.
The collection of mail via MRT is thus one more step in bringing postal services closer to the community.
Also read: SingPost Outlets Stop Selling Ticketmaster Concert Tickets, No More Overnight Queues
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Featured image adapted from Stellar Lifestyle.
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