Postal deliveries by drone could be coming to Cyprus within two or three years, according to Director of the Cyprus Post, Andreas Gregoriou.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Gregoriou said that in order for this to be an option for Cyprus Post users, drone manufacturers need to resolve some issues and a legal framework for the use of these devices needs to be in place.
“We did not present this option during the event attended by the President of the Republic in order to create an impression,” he said, adding that the Cyprus Post budget for 2016 includes a small amount to exploit this possibility.
Last September, the Finnish postal service Posti became the first company in Europe to experiment with unmanned areas vehicles (UAV) for urban deliveries.
Parcels are being transported between mainland Helsinki and Suomenlinna, an island 5 kilometers away.
Replying to a question about the role of the Cyprus Post in the new information and technology era, Gregoriou said: “On the one hand, traditional postal correspondence is being replaced by electronic communications.
“But on the other hand, it has created new needs as a result of online trade that has increased the dispatch of parcels and small packets.”
The “Parcel 24” service was introduced in Cyprus three years ago for those who regularly receive parcels from EU countries and which are therefore not subject to customs control.
Users who fill an application on the Cyprus Post website will receive a mobile phone notification of a parcel’s arrival, which they can then collect within 72 hours from a self-service machine at the district post office.
Currently Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca offer this service.
The budget for 2016 provides for the installation of two additional machines in Paphos and one in Paralimni.
Another service offered by Cyprus Post involves SMS notification when receiving a registered letter or parcel.
Source: in-cyprus