Mail project could stop the trucks... (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Mail project could stop the trucks...

7:00pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in North Essex

HUGE trucks may soon no longer find themselves getting stuck in the narrow streets of Colchester’s Dutch Quarter – thanks to the town’s posties.

Royal Mail is taking part in trials of scheme to map the precise co-ordinates of every home and business address in the UK.

Using GPS satellite tracking equipment, they are map ping the longitude, latitude and altitude of each property on their rounds to to create a detailed log of information for sat nav users.

The pilot project is being run across East Anglia, with Colchester postal staff leading the way.

One use for the information would be to make sure sat navs no longer send lorries along narrow and unsuitable roads such as those in parts of Colchester.

Royal Mail’s Keith Jones, who is running the trial, said: “For individuals and companies, many everyday activities involve using information, based on the location of an address.

“The emergency services, sat nav systems used by motorists and smart phone applications all use this information.

“Mapping co-ordinates, which are accurate to the front door of addresses across the UK will help improve the accuracy of this information.”

Royal Mail has promised the mapping work will not delay postal deliveries.

Extra staff have been organised to cover rounds while the posties use their local knowledge to create the electronic maps.

The project started this week and, if successful, will be extended across the UK later this year.