Herts collects via Securicor
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• Securicor's poll tax collection service has won its first contract.
The one-year Community Link contract with Dacorum Borough Council in Hertfordshire is serviced by a van designed and built by Securicor subsidiary Bedwas. The van will visit 31 locations a month at publicised times, allowing local residents to pay their poll tax and other council payments over the counter in cash.
Securicor commercial director Ann Perkins says she is looking at "the use of the `mobile-bank' for the receipt of other„ private sector payments such as utilities and the mail order catalogue industry".
Community Link, launched in January, is designed to net poll tax payments from the estimated 25% of the UK's adult population who do not have bank accounts.
The vehicles are equipped with two counter positions manned by Securicor cashiers. If the local authority agrees, a data file on board will give names and addresses of each payee. Disabled people can make their payment through a si0 hatch on the van.
The service works out cheaper to local authorities than using the Post Office, says a Securicor spokesman.
Several more poll tax collection vans are coming off the Bedwas production line. They will service new contracts soon to be announced.