The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Speed Post service, even at midnight

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Sunday, Aug 17, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Speed Post service, even at midnight

Sangeetha Unnithan

Drop boxes installed at 12 places in the city

Pre-stamped letters weighing up to 50g can be posted
Booking status will be intimated via SMS or e-mail

A Speed Post drop box installed in the city.

Thiruvananthapuram: Standing in long queues to send an ‘urgent matter’ via Speed Post will soon be a thing of the past. The Kerala Circle of Department of Posts is now parcelling out its Speed Post drop box service to locations across the city.

Twelve Speed Post drop boxes have been installed at select points in the city, especially near multi-storeyed apartments, including at Kowdiar, Jawahar Nagar and Pattom.

Users can now post pre-stamped Speed Post letters weighing up to 50 grams at the box any time. The postage fee for Speed Post up to 50 grams is Rs.12 for mails sent to localities within Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Rs.25 for any other place in the country.

The limit

The 50-gram weight limit allows up to seven A4 size papers to be posted in a single envelop.

The letters posted in the Speed Post drop boxes will be periodically cleared from the Speed Post Centre, where they will be booked and dispatched on the immediately available channel, either by train or flight.

“The best thing about the facility is that people can send mail even at midnight. Earlier, once the Speed Post Centre closed, people had to wait till the next day. Now, it is any time posting,” said Business Post and Marketing assistant director R.V. Sreekantadas.

The senders will be intimated about the booking status through SMS, e-mail or by post by the Speed Post Centre at the General Post Office, Pulimoodu.

For receipt

For this, it is mandatory for senders to write their mobile number and e-mail on the envelope. Those who require a booking receipt can get it from the Speed Post Centre at the General Post Office after furnishing their identity.

Each article dispatched through the Speed Post Centre is also pasted with a 13 digit bar code so that it can be traced via internet during its transit to destination.

He said the Department planned to install more drop boxes in the city after reviewing the response to the present ones. Other places where drop boxes are currently available are Central Telegraph Office (Statue), Medical College entrance, Mascot Hotel, Nanthancode, Kuravankonam, Sasthamangalam Junction, Karamana Junction, Thampanoor Bus stand and Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Credit for regulars

The Department of Post is also offering a one-month credit facility for its regular Speed Post and Express Parcel customers.

There is also a five per cent discount for those whose per month postage is above of Rs.10,000. The mails of such customers will be collected from them. Residents’ associations and flat residents can avail this service by opening an account under the Book Now and Pay Later (BNPL) scheme of the Department of Posts.

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