Navi Mumbai: In a citizen-friendly move, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has introduced smart touchscreen navigation kiosks at its iconic circular headquarters building to help visitors easily locate departments and officials’ offices.
The municipal headquarters regularly sees footfall from citizens availing various civic services, as well as dignitaries and tourists who visit the uniquely designed structure. Given the building’s expansive and circular layout, navigating to the right department or floor can be confusing. While directional signboards and digital screens have long been in place, the new interactive navigation kiosks provide a more streamlined and high-tech solution.
An Official's Statement
“These touchscreen kiosks, resembling kiosks found in airports and malls, allow users to simply tap on the name of the department or official they are looking for. The screen then displays the relevant floor, the path from the elevator, and step-by-step directions in both Marathi and English. Frequently visited departments are given prominence on the interface to further improve ease of access,” said an official from NMMC.
The first of these screens has already been installed next to the central elevator on the ground floor. Additional kiosks are being installed on the second, third, and fourth floors, providing comprehensive guidance throughout the building.
According to NMMC officials, this initiative is part of a larger push toward integrating modern technology into public service. Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde has been leading efforts to make all civic services more accessible through digitization. “Most citizen services are now available online, and the navigation system is expected to further reduce confusion and improve efficiency for visitors at the headquarters,” Dr Shinde said.
