Private postal service for Isle of Wight

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Private postal service for Island?

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/private ... 29753.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AN ENTERPRISING former IT trainer is poised to start his own postal service on the Island.

Peter Camplin, 54, of Hill Street is Ryde has obtained a Postcomm licence to deliver letters throughout the Isle of Wight.
His fledgling firm, 'Wightpost’, would use specially made white postboxes, which he aims to place in shops in Ryde.

He will also sell a range of individually designed stamps and hopes to deliver the mail in a fleet of electric scooters to become the first 'green’ postal service on the Island.

Mr Camplin, who is currently unemployed, is set to hold talks next week with entrepreneurs interested in funding his revolutionary scheme.

He hopes to obtain funding from the Isle of Wight Lottery for the scheme and also aims to obtain grants that promote green businesses.

Initially, Mr Camplin will run the service in Ryde and has already got newsagents in the town to agree to site his Wightpost boxes in their shops.

If the idea is successful, he hopes then to expand into Ventnor and Lake where people have also expressed an interest.
Mr Camplin told the County Press there used to be a postal service within the Isle of Wight, run by the Royal Mail, but the nationalised concern could no longer provide next-day delivery.

He said: "It is primarily about running a green service. You have a letter posted in Ventnor and it has to go all the way to the other side of Hampshire before it comes all the way back to the Island five days later.

"My new service is subject to funding but it could be up and running in a fortnight if that happens."

[johnnyp]

Good luck to him.

[dvbuk55]

Good luck to him.

I agree. Before I came to the post office I, probably like millions of people then and now, had no idea how Royal Mail worked. All that I saw was a postman with a bag on his back walking the streets and that is what appealed to me having spent the previous ten years at a desk.

The reality of course is very different, collection, sortation, security, weight and hundreds of other minutiae to deal with - still if it is a success maybe RM would be interested in buying him out.

[Tman]

Yeah, good luck to him, taking more postie's work away from RM because that's what we all need, eh?

Just another chancer who doesn't know what he doesn't know regarding mail delivery. Still, "we'll" be there to pick up the pieces and take the blame when it goes tits up......

[dvbuk55]

Yeah, good luck to him, taking more postie's work away from RM because that's what we all need, eh?

Just another chancer who doesn't know what he doesn't know regarding mail delivery. Still, "we'll" be there to pick up the pieces and take the blame when it goes tits up......

Well he won't be alone in taking work from Royal Mail and if he can show people he can do a better job then - yes - good luck to him. If there was a national alternative E2E service there'd be many who would use it.

[Lounge Lizard]

"especially made white postboxes, which he aims to place in shops in Ryde." - so not much use for those living in the other towns and villages on the island.

He will also sell a range of individually designed stamps and hopes to deliver the mail in a fleet of electric scooters to become the first 'green’ postal service on the Island. - why not bicycles which are greener than electric scooters ?

Mr Camplin, who is currently unemployed, - now there's a surprise.

[Puppetmaster]

Good luck to him ,he will need it,unless he can get a contact with Isle of Wight council ,I cabt see how he will survive unless he charges £5.00 a letter !
Since most mail is national companies these days I give him 6 months.dont sound like he has done his reasearch.

[smokerjim]

Mr Camplin told the County Press there used to be a postal service within the Isle of Wight, run by the Royal Mail, but the nationalised concern could no longer provide next-day delivery.

He said: "It is primarily about running a green service. You have a letter posted in Ventnor and it has to go all the way to the other side of Hampshire before it comes all the way back to the Island five days later.

From what he says, it seems he is only going to be concerned with Intra & if RM aren't bothered about a decent Intra service to an island a few miles from the mainland, then good luck to him ( otherwise, get a few sorters at Ryde or Cowes to work evenings and sort the IoW Intra from the rest of the mail.....but that costs money, oh dear )

[not me]

Mr Camplin told the County Press there used to be a postal service within the Isle of Wight, run by the Royal Mail, but the nationalised concern could no longer provide next-day delivery.

He said: "It is primarily about running a green service. You have a letter posted in Ventnor and it has to go all the way to the other side of Hampshire before it comes all the way back to the Island five days later.

From what he says, it seems he is only going to be concerned with Intra & if RM aren't bothered about a decent Intra service to an island a few miles from the mainland, then good luck to him ( otherwise, get a few sorters at Ryde or Cowes to work evenings and sort the IoW Intra from the rest of the mail.....but that costs money, oh dear )

yup thats how i see it however theres the rub
how does it pay? how many intra letters are sent on the island?

132,731 permanent residents according to the 2001 census

not a lot of people to pay the wages for a 'fleet' of vehicles,staff and infrastructure

[smokerjim]

The basis of the Service has always been using profit to pay for loss.....so the loss of mail to DSA has created further loss to DSA....I bet that result came as surprise to the DSA negotiators

[F0zziebear]

Economies of scale and format:

The easier an item is too handle the less it costs. Walksorted mail that is machinable is cheap to handle and therefore RM can charge less for it, as it comes in large volumes and machines can work at their maximum capacity outside of peak load next day requirements.

Secondly items that stayed within a geographical area were traditionally cheaper to handle as they had less distance to go. The theory goes that mail within London is some of the cheapest to handle. So for example mail from NW/N postcodes and visa versa are the highest neighbouring postcode volumes in the country. So the actual cost is far less per item than what is paid by the general public.

Items such as these (amongst others) help subsidise other more difficult to handle volumes.

I agree that whilst this Isle of Wight idea is a nice one, and green/socially responsible the cost may prohibit any decent profits if any at all. However, let's think about the costs:

Manpower (probably less than 5 people per day, possibly maybe one). An electric scooter, possibly subsidised under a green funding programme from someone such as the Carbon Trust or Lottery funding. The local government may also promote this under some enterprise scheme. Cost of stationary for stamps, and boxes. Legal, marketing etc. There is also the question of salaries. But if it means getting someone off the dole then go for it. My other concern is falling volumes for local mail, so as someone previously pointed out unless he gets a good intra contract, such as that from the local council then he may have problems. But we shall see.

[Tman]

I recall this "story" was first aired on the BBC some years ago, when the IoW locals were moaning that IoW mail was taken across the Solent to Portsmouth, sorted and returned back to the IoW. Not really a problem as the mail would be processed the same day and sent back via the Hover Link, meaning IoW residents had to "wait" no longer for their mail than anyone else.
Also the minor fact that no one on the IoW was segregating IoW mail from all the other mail, and Ryde or Newport didn't have the facilities or manpower to do this, was something they couldn't quite grasp.
Fast forward to now, and those same locals probably think all the problems (real or perceived) with their mail deliveries will be magically solved by some old boy with a spare room and a bike.
Oh well, he'll soon get bored with it......

[POSTMAN]

Fozz,would it be possible for him to say get DSA off the leaches to deliver as well.
So instead of dropping it off to a MC or RDC they would i presume have to post code sort it and drop it off to him.

[dvbuk55]

I recall this "story" was first aired on the BBC some years ago, when the IoW locals were moaning that IoW mail was taken across the Solent to Portsmouth, sorted and returned back to the IoW. Not really a problem as the mail would be processed the same day and sent back via the Hover Link, meaning IoW residents had to "wait" no longer for their mail than anyone else.
Also the minor fact that no one on the IoW was segregating IoW mail from all the other mail, and Ryde or Newport didn't have the facilities or manpower to do this, was something they couldn't quite grasp.
Fast forward to now, and those same locals probably think all the problems (real or perceived) with their mail deliveries will be magically solved by some old boy with a spare room and a bike.
Oh well, he'll soon get bored with it......

You may not believe this Tman but Bill Gates Mum said those very words when he was buggering about with electonic thingys in the garage

[Puppetmaster]

I Would not fancy going round the island on a bike with a delivery pouch,most areas in the south have mole hills ,the I.O.W have proper man size hills on par with Wales.
If he could get DSA how would he get it ,I can see all these dsa Companys making special ferry crossings to drop him mail off as opposed to dropping it off at portsmouth or southampton now !
Would he charge more for ruarals,some parts of the island are remote he would need a large amount of guys to be able deliver to every house on the island every day.

I wonder why if it is such a great idea no RM staff have set it up?
One of these things great idea on paper till you do your homework.