Last week's announcement that Moya Greene had been appointed as Royal Mail's new chief executive, a national cyclists' organisation has launched a campaign to Keep Posties Cycling. The Royal Mail's plans to force postmen and postwomen to use trolleys and vans instead of bikes is based on its expectation of "a reduction in the number of delivery accidents".
Currently, Royal Mail staff use a fleet of 24,000 bikes, but the new measures could see that number drop to a few hundred. The cyclists' charity, which is opposed to the plans, said it was not convinced by Royal Mail's health and safety reasons for stopping bike delivery.
Debra Rolfe, CTC's campaigns co-ordinator said: "Many of the postal workers who have spoken to us don't want to give up their bikes and be forced to deliver mail by trolley or van. Ms Rolfe also said she was concerned that Royal Mail had not looked at the other options seriously. She added: "To overcome the problem of the increase in the number of parcels being delivered, Royal Mail needs look at using cargo bicycles and tricycles.
"These are already used in the UK by courier companies like DHL and FedEx, and are the norm in other European countries. "It is also ironic that Royal Mail says it will always consider its environmental impact and wants to develop low carbon vehicles, when at the same time it is planning to stop using the one of the greenest forms of transport."
Postman and anonymous blogger 'Roy Mayall' said: "Bikes have been one of the main tools of the postal trade for over 100 years. There's a good reason for this. "Aside from all the environmental and health benefits, a bike is a beautifully functional piece of machinery. It's a bike. It's a trolley. You can go fast. You can go slow. You can carry weight. You can use it to sort the mail. There are lots of compartments. You can park it on its stand and walk. There's an old maxim: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. "Ask any postie and they'll tell you. We love our bikes."
CTC is asking everyone who would like to 'Keep Posties Cycling' to take action by printing a letter off from its website and posting it to Moya Greene at Royal Mail's headquarters.