Residents in the London Borough of Westminster are to be offered a digital card to help them access a range of local authority services, the city council has announced.
The card, which is used in conjunction with the new MyWestminster portal, can be downloaded to both Apple Wallet and Google Pay, and will enable residents to access services run by Westminster City Council without needing to remember a physical card or repeatedly prove eligibility.
Marking one of the first multiservice digital cards to be rolled out by a local authority, the digital card will initially provide access across Westminster’s library services. It will also be compatible with the free-to-use City Save scheme.
The MyWestminster portal is designed as a single digital space where residents can access the council’s services. It should take less than 10 minutes to sign up to access the digital card.
‘The new MyWestminster portal is a key example of how we plan to make Westminster a world-leading smart city with people at its heart and marks a key first step in our digital journey,’ said Cllr Paul Swaddle, cabinet member for finance and smart city at Westminster City Council.
‘The portal makes accessing services simpler and more intuitive, and our digital card will offer a technology-driven, environmentally-friendly experience sitting alongside other cards in your Apple or Google Pay wallet.
‘London is the fintech capital of the world and so it’s absolutely right that residents in the city centre are able to harness technology to navigate Westminster with ease. We look forward to opening up access to a range of services, from local swimming pools to gyms – watch this space.’
Aruj Haider, chief digital and innovation officer, said: ‘For us, a truly smart city puts the needs of its residents at the heart of how services are designed – the launch of the MyWestminster portal and card puts this strategy into action. As we add services to our digital card, we hope our city will become even be more accessible for the benefit of all.’
