More postal package boxes to be introduced in Vienna

The Austrian post office wants to reduce the number of people having to come and pick up packages from post collection centres in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

By the end of the year the postal service wants to double the number of parcel boxes in apartments blocks in the city meaning that less people will have to collect the packages from collection centres with the yellow letters left behind in the post box.

According to Austria wide statistics from the postal service around 87 per cent of packages are successfully delivered on the first attempt – 13 per cent of people who are not home have to go and collect their package at a later date.

But in Vienna the number of people who have to go and collect their packages is much higher.

Post office spokesperson Michael Homola said: “In Vienna the quota varies from district to district, but sometimes it is less than 70 per cent of packages which can be delivered on the first attempt.”

Since 2011 additional package boxes have been erected next to letter boxes in Vienna where packages can be left. A chip is left in the post box which can then open the package box.

Homola added: “There are around 2000 of these boxes at the moment. By the end of the year we hope to have erected between 3800 and 3900 boxes.

The postal service has made contracts with housing providers such as Wiener Wohnen – the boxes which are paid for by the housing provider cost between 189 and 319 Euro.

In addition the post office wants to make it possible for packages to be collected 24 hours a day with self service machines which would be used with a code.

Homola said: “We are still in the very early stages. We just started this one week ago. The first one went into operation in Vienna’s 23rd district. We are planning an additional five by the end of the year. Next year we plan another 70 in Austria – around up to half which would be in Vienna.