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Borella Post Office works round the clock; more to follow
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Borella post office: Some come to receive urgent packages, use the service to pay traffic fines and make last-minute utility bill payments at night. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
By Mimi Alphonsus
Post offices will provide 24-hour service, allowing busy people to access postal services at their convenience, even at night, but it depends on the success of an ongoing project, officials said.
The project to offer postal services at night began in January this year under the leadership of the Borella Postmaster General and Convenor of the Joint Postal Services Union, Chinthaka Bandara.
Chinthaka Bandara
The Borella Post Office was one of the first post offices to provide round-the-clock services.
Mr. Bandara explained that the extended hours were being implemented with the full support of the staff and without new recruitment. To facilitate the night service, the Borella Post Office has four staff working on a roster basis.
Ms. Prisanthika
The service has been useful to a variety of customers. Borella post office Deputy Postmistress, Ms. Prisanthika, said that among those who sought the night service were parents of schoolchildren, as they were busy working and taking children to school during the day. Some come to receive urgent packages, and still others use the service to pay traffic fines and make last-minute utility bill payments.
According to the Borella Post Office night staff, about 50 to 100 people visited the post office at night.
At the moment, twelve other post offices that, although not open 24 hours, have night shifts primarily to facilitate traffic fine payments. “For those who are driving to Colombo from outstation and have to return, it is difficult to stay until the morning to pay the fine and retrieve their licences,” explained the supervising officer of one of the post offices. “This way they can quickly finish the process and continue their journey.”
The demand for postal services outside of the usual working hours has the Department of Posts considering expansion.
Western Province-South Deputy Postmaster General K. A. N. P. Kandanaarachchi said that if the 24-hour service at the Borella Post Office goes well, they would consider bringing the system into more areas.
Mr. Prabath, who regularly works late at night at Borella, said he finds the work fulfilling and that it is worth the irregular hours to help customers and keep them satisfied.
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