Failed deliveries is a huge pain point for logistic companies and online shoppers alike.
In April 2016, Deputy Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced plans to roll out a federated locker system in residential areas to improve the last-mile delivery of parcels islandwide.
“Based on IDA’s findings, the biggest problem faced by our local delivery companies is in making door-to-door deliveries and finding that no one is at home to receive the goods,” said Mr Tharman at an industry launch event.
In line with this plan, the Government is rolling out a year-long pilot of a parcel locker network in Punggol and Bukit Panjang estates this October.
This means that residents in these two estates will have an option to collect their parcels via this common locker, which makes it a very convenient option if they’re not at home to receive their parcels.
Lockers Will Be A Convenient Pick-Up Point
There will be 23 of such locker sites in Bukit Panjang, and another 39 in Punggol – and they’ll be run by logistics providers BluPort and SingPost respectively.
According to the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), these “federated lockers” will serve as a convenient pick-up point as they will be located in accessible areas such as MRT stations and common collection points within 250 metres from HDB residences.
The lockers are free for use for consumers, and is accessible round-the-clock so users can collect it virtually anytime.
For the merchants and logistic firms, this system will help to resolve last-mile fulfilment challenges by providing cost savings and efficiencies.
The locker system can be used by all couriers, potentially benefiting more than 7,600 logistics service providers in Singapore.
IMDA will be partnering 15 logistics firms and industry partners to participate in the locker network, including firms such as Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), Parcel Santa, and Lazada.
Parcel Santa will partner SPH and tap on its newspaper delivery network to make deliveries to parcel lockers currently located in 100 condominium precincts.
There will also be the option of using any of the 59 SPH Buzz Convenience Stores islandwide as a drop-off or collection point.
Featured Image Credit: Yellow Pages
