PoS mayor, minister: Postal code system will improve lives

The rollout of the postal code project by TTPost has the potential to enhance and improve the lives of all citizens, especially residents of Port of Spain, according to Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.

The introduction of the postal code system began in 2012, with TTPost working with municipal corporations to map various communities.

Hinds outlined the benefits of the coding system for homes and communities on Friday.

Speaking at what was described as the launch of the project, at the Hyatt, Hinds said the system was an important one as it could allow communities and households to be better connected with each other, businesses and the government through a new and improved coding system.

He said while in the past various agencies and institutions had to rely on obscure directions and incomplete addresses given by residents, the implementation of the project would guarantee more well-connected communities, allowing more trade and faster access for emergency services.

"This international standardisation allows for the restructuring of the country's street-numbering system that removes the ad-hoc addressing system.

"I know as a fact that firms which engage in hire purchase affairs and business sometimes run into tremendous difficulties trying to find their customers. Sometimes the police have issues trying to find people... and even some state agencies, like T&TEC and WASA.

"Our operations will all be greatly enhanced with the coming of this new, innovative and pin-point accurate addressing system."

Hinds also said he anticipated that services provided by the Ministry of Social Development would also be improved, as clearer distinctions will be made between families that live in separate homes on a single plot of land, during evaluations for social assistance.

Also speaking at the launch was Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez, who said the importance of the new coding system could not be overstated, as it would give the authorities a clearer understanding of various communities.

Citing the response of the fire service in removing a large tree that was uprooted from the Brian Lara Promenade on Wednesday, Martinez lamented that the fire officers might have had a more difficult time responding to the situation if it had happened in another part of the city that was less well known.

"Had it (the tree) been somewhere else and we had to encourage peronnel to get their immediately, can you can imagine us trying to describe the location as to where to find the incident that would have occurred?

"We cannot continue to allow our citizens to make their homes in spaces we cannot find, because if there is an emergency one night where someone needs an ambulance and you have to describe to the ambulance driver where to find that person, it could be fatal to the person who needs help."

TTPost's general manager of operations George Alexis said 11 regional corporations have been mapped and coded thus far and only the Diego Martin, San Juan/ Laventille and the Couva/ Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporations awaiting coding. He said this was expected to be completed before the end of the year.