CASH kiosks are being introduced by Worcester City Council to speed up payments and reduce queues.

The machines at the Worcestershire Hub Customer Service Centre in Farrier Street will be introduced from January 12, when customers will be able to make cash payments for council tax and other bills via the kiosks, with staff on hand to offer assistance.

Payments by debit or credit card can still be made at the counter, with this facility due to be transferred to the kiosks later in the new year.

“Now customers can spend less time queuing to pay for bills, and staff at the centre will be able to spend even more time focusing on the individual needs of customers,” said David Thorpe, customer services and business transformation manager.

“We believe this is a much more efficient way of collecting payments where customers are still reluctant to move to direct debit.”

Future developments include the addition of bar codes to bills to speed up transaction times and improve customer service.

Customers can also pay for Council Tax and business rates by Direct Debit, telephone, or online.