Solar panel, barcode scanner, and drop-down draw for parcels: Royal Mail's 'postbox of the future', coming to Dudley soon
A Black Country village will be one of the first areas of the West Midlands to get a futuristic electronic pillar box.
Residents of Upper Gornal, near Dudley, were left scratching their heads when the traditional pillar box on the corner of Duke Street was covered in tape, and a notice attached to it saying 'Out of service: Automated system coming soon'.
Sign up to our free newsletter today
The location has been chosen for one of Royal Mail's 3,500 new 'postboxes of the future' aimed at making it easier to send parcels.
The new design, which looks similar to a traditional pillar box, features a solar panel, a barcode scanner and a drawer for parcels, allowing customers to send and return small, labelled parcels through a postbox for the first time.
Described as the biggest change to postbox design in more than 175 years, the new boxes have solar panels attached to the top.
It is another move in the company's increased emphasis on the growing parcel delivery market. Last week, the Express & Star reported how customers in the area were waiting up to three weeks for letters to arrive amid claims that postal workers were instructed to prioritise parcels.
The customer will need to buy a label with a barcode in advance, and attach it to the parcel prior to postage.
On arrival at the postbox, the customer will scan the barcode, prompting an electric draw to drop down, enabling the parcel to slide down into the mailbox.
They can then request proof of postage using the Royal Mail app, which uses 4G mobile technology and your phone’s location services to identify which box you have left the parcel in. All customers need to do is tap ‘services’ on the home screen, go to ‘proof of posting’, and follow the instructions.
Customers can still send letters through the posting slot as normal.
A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said: "Our postboxes of the future offer another convenient way for customers in Dudley to access Royal Mail's services, alongside home delivery and collection, our customer service points, Post Office branches, lockers and Royal Mail shops.
"We’re pleased to see positive feedback from customers in areas where the postboxes have already been introduced, and we hope that local residents will find them just as useful and convenient.”
