Royal Mail parcel hubs to help Christmas post

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15622184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Royal Mail is setting up nine parcel hubs to cope with the expected Christmas increase in packages.

The temporary centres at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Swansea, Swindon, Watford, Bristol, Peterborough, Manchester and Nuneaton will run until 24 December.

A Royal Mail spokesman said the centres were gradually being brought into service from 7 November.

Consumer Focus said it was good to see steps being taken to stop frustrating Christmas delays from happening.

"Another spell of bad weather in December could really test its ability to deliver our post on time," the spokesman added.

The Royal Mail hopes that by separating parcels from cards and letters it will reduce congestion at existing sorting and distribution facilities.

"The £15m we are investing [in the centres] is in addition to the substantial financial commitment Royal Mail makes at Christmas to fund its seasonal operation," the Royal Mail spokesman said.

"Christmas is the busiest time of year for Royal Mail and our customers.

"On peak days we handle around 130 million items - around double our normal average daily mailbag of 62 million items."

[DirtyHarry]

Dear me, will they never cop themselves on?
The ever declining numbers of experienced staff, that's what will really test Royal Mail's ability to carry out it's responsibilities this xmas, not a few snow flakes.

[Phantom]

Pity it will bottle neck when it hits delivery offices then!!! Where the f**k are our extra staff????

[adb2aber]

Swindons "parcel hub" will be desperately needing experience people in as they've decided to take the PSC out at the start of December and it'll take 2 weeks to move out they claim. All that floor space lost means not a hope in hell of getting parcels out from the MC. It's supposed to be social mail only going to the old BCA site but I can see the rest going over as well whilst they faff around taking the machine out.

I would suspect some of the others are the usual outhouses under another name - EH will have the usual Bathgate site, Manchester will be the old MC, Bristol the outhouse etc etc