The City Council of Westminster – an area of central London in the UK – has introduced a digital card as part of its latest smart city initiatives. The ‘MyWestminster’ account offers residents a faster and easier way to access a range of local services, beginning with access to library services online and City Save offers. The free City Save program offers residents discounts and savings on local restaurants, stores, events, and venues.
“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,” said Aruj Haider, chief digital and innovation officer, Westminster City Council. “As we add services to our digital card, we hope our city will become even more accessible for the benefit of all. We are excited to open up the portal to our residents, as a vital part of our Smart City for All ambition. Intuitive and easy-to-use, it will enable residents to navigate a range of services with confidence and ease.”
The free digital card can be used in conjunction with the new MyWestminster portal and can be downloaded to both Apple Wallet and Google Pay. Working with local libraries, workshops will be made available to ensure accessibility for the MyWestminster program. The council is inviting feedback from residents, including which services residents would like to see added next and how these can be best improved.
“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 councilor 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”.