Posties off their bikes and on their trolleys

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... 952494.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The familiar sight of the postie on his bike could rapidly disappear from Britain’s streets next year, to be replaced by the postie and his ... trolley.

Adam Crozier, chief executive, said that Royal Mail was spending £120 million on about 2,400 electric-powered trolleys and 24,000 lightweight trolleys to help postmen and women with their rounds.

He added: “It will help take the weight off our people’s backs — although it will mean, of course, that fewer of them will be using bikes.”

The spending is part of a £2 billion investment programme which, by the end of 2011, should mean that three quarters of the letters delivered to Britain’s homes by Royal Mail will have been “walk sequenced” by machines introduced as part of the company’s modernisation process. The machines sort mail down to the exact route walked by the postman or woman on their round.

Mr Crozier said that, after a trial involving 55 of the walk-sequencing machines, they would be installed at the rate of three to six a week from January — with the aim of having more than 500 in use by the end of 2011.

He added: “What this means is that our postmen and women will spend less time in the sorting office before going on their rounds and will have more time to deliver. Customers should see better consistency and quality of service.”

Mr Crozier admitted that, during the six months to the end of September, Royal Mail’s letters division suffered an 8 per cent drop in volumes compared with the same six months last year. This translated to a £55 million drop in revenues.

[Debbie]

Electric trollys .I Have Been using a HCT for years now, Brakes always snappping, wheels fall off, they run off on their own soon as you turn your back and as we are not allowed to try and repair them ourselfs, we have to let managers know and wait months for someone to come out ( only to be told' oh its needs a new wheel ill have to order one' or ' not got my tools on me ill have to come back) then they come back weeks later after more phone calls and your out on delivery . what a farse.
what im trying to say is electric trollys? now thats gonna be fun when they brake down, which they will. and alot heavier to try and push back to office . and bet when its your day off the reliefs forget to charge them up.

[pinstripe]

"He added: “What this means is that our postmen and women will spend less time in the sorting office before going on their rounds and will have more time to deliver. Customers should see better consistency and quality of service.”"

Yeah, a whole 10-20 minutes less, so our deliveries will have to increase by an hour and a half to compensate, oh and lose another 50,000 posties as well. Still, at least he'll get another nice bonus. Isn't he worth it!