The Bedford Citizen Service Partnership (CSP) has installed a pilot CITIZONE system in Dunstable library to deliver electronic government services and provide access to public information.
The CSP, made up of Bedfordshire County Council, and Mid Beds and South Beds District Councils, is the first group to meet central government’s 2005 target for combining services.
CITIZONE aims to deliver fast, accurate and accountable public services, provide easy access to information and act as a gateway for other government services. It aims to promote social inclusion and break down ‘barriers’, by mixing technology with face-to-face contact. The scheme will also help the authorities to research needs, measure performance and reduce duplication.
Dunstable library is intended as a test for the CITIZONE terminals, which do not yet have the full set of planned functions. Six support staff will provide assistance and advice to users during the trial.
The CSP is working with BT and Wiltshire-based company DVE to meet the aims of the scheme. BT has installed eleven touch screen desktop terminals and a plasma screen, and offers video conferencing and internet access facilities.
BT has also installed a 24-hour public access point behind a glass window at the front of the library. It employs inductive technology to sense where the window has been touched in front of the terminal.
Councillor Paul Walley of South Beds District Council told PublicTechnology.net: “The Dunstable CITIZONE is the first real opportunity for us to show-off and test our new approach for service delivery.”
It remains to be seen how many ‘customers’ use CITIZONE. Presumably, those who travel and queue to use the service will not have internet access. It is hard to imagine that these same people will be comfortable using touch screen displays, whether or not they employ ‘inductive technology’. If the scheme achieves its lofty aims, it should be applauded. A trial is welcome.