PHILIPSBURG–Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS) has committed to using “what3words,” a multi-award winning addressing system, as its addressing standard for the country.
According to a press release issued by what3words, St Maarten is the first nation in the region – and the third country in the world – to adopt the 3 word addresses to improve its infrastructure. The release said many places in the country do not have a formal or official address.
“The postal service strives to service the entire country, but persistently experiences high rates of failed deliveries. In many cases, the renumbering of houses over past decades has left single homes with multiple addresses, and different homes with the same address, while others simply have none,” it was stated in the release.
“By using what3words, every location in the country instantly has an address. What3words provides an easy-to-use, accurate and fixed address for every 3m x 3m square in the world. Making this address system part of the country’s infrastructure and integral to PSS’s service will help unlock the region’s economic growth and social development. As a first step, PSS is accepting 3 word addresses from all customers who want reliable delivery to a precise and simple address, extending the service to both their commercial partners and private clients.”
The release said customers will be able to identify any 3 word address using the free what3words app or website and simply write it on an envelope. Every citizen will have an address, irrespective of where he or she lives.
“PSS NV is proud to announce our partnership with what3words,” Interim Managing Director of Postal Services St. Maarten Antonia Wilson was quoted as saying in the release. “With what3words, PSS NV can instantly provide universal access to the postal service. This will make us more efficient and reduce customer frustrations.”
What3words is available in fourteen languages, including English, French and Spanish. It is used by individuals, delivery companies, navigation tools, governments, firms, travel guides and Non-Governmental Organisations. “It is more precise than traditional addresses, simpler than descriptions, and easier to communicate and remember than long strings of GPS coordinates.
The system has built-in error detection and is available both as a mobile app and API integration. The system works offline without a data connection, ensuring it can be used everywhere,” the release said.
“We are on a mission to change the way people communicate location,” said CEO and co-founder of what3words Chris Sheldrick. “St. Maarten has become a global innovator, leapfrogging the hundreds of other nations that all rely on inaccurate, inconsistent or complex addressing systems.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/62855-st-maarten-adopts-what3words-as-its-postal-addressing-system
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