Wokingham Callers' Office

[Terryk]

I have been told that following an incident when a woman was in collision with a van in the yard, the Wokingham Callers' Office is not going to open until 10am from now on. This is presumably so the deliveries can go out before the public start queuing up. (For those that don't know the callers "office" is actually a hatch on the side of the building by the main exit from the yard to the road.)

Anyone know if this is a) true and b) permanent?

[Stormproof]

Perhaps they will stop customers parking there before 10am. I very much doubt they would change the start time of the Callers Office.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=RG40+1A ... 11,,0,1.98" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if that is the office you mean it does say No Public Parking on the sign.

[Terryk]

There's no customer parking allowed on site.
** Just seen the picture in your edited post. The callers office "hatch" is on the left hand side just round the corner from where the postie is walking out. As you can see its pretty narrow there and appararently someone stepped in the path of a van.

[Lounge Lizard]

Delivery to neighbour not working properly yet in Wokingham then ?

[Terryk]

Seems it is true.

From GetWokingham

Wokingham parcel collection office queues out on the pavement
By Jon Nurse
November 16, 2012



Angry customers have blasted safety measures introduced at a parcel collection office after a woman was hit by a post van.

Huge queues blocking the pedestrian crossing and Post Office entrance have been snaking down the pavement since Royal Mail slashed opening times by more than half, following the accident.

The woman was clipped by the van as it passed her in the entrance to the delivery yard in Broad Street two weeks ago.

Families have been forced to queue for up to an hour after collection times were reduced to 10am to 12.30pm Monday to Saturday so staff can man the gate to supervise people coming in and out to minimise further accidents.

Becky Galbraith, 35, who queued for an hour in the rain on Friday morning with her five-month-old baby, said: “It’s a disaster.

“They say it’s because of health and safety but the queue is blocking the crossing and the Post Office.

“And at 12.30pm everyone in the queue was let inside the gates which completely negates any health and safety issues. It made a mockery of the whole thing.”

Lorraine Fowler, 44, of Heather Close, Finchampstead, said: “I arrived at 11.30am and the queue was all the way down Broad Street.

“I’ve never seen so many people upset. Some were there for the third time trying to collect their parcel.

“It’s totally unacceptable. There were more health and safety issues for people waiting on the street.

“One incident over however many years shouldn’t change the whole policy for collection.”

Staff at the collection office are looking for a new arrangement to lengthen opening hours. A Royal Mail spokesman said: “A lady was clipped by a van, she wasn’t injured.

“But following a review of vehicle movements and visitor access, we have reluctantly decided to reduce the opening hours to minimise the risk of any accidents.

“The hours chosen are when we have the least amount of vehicles present. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience but the safety of everyone at the site has to be our priority.”

Jayne Lewis, 32, of Tiffany Close, queued for 35 minutes on Friday with her three-year-old Erin.

“They want to find a solution but this isn’t it,” she said.

“It was a nightmare being in everyone’s way.

“We were having to restrain Erin from the busy road as lots of people were trying to get by.

“All this in the lead up to Christmas as well – I’m dreading getting any parcels.”

Customers can have items requiring a signature or that are too big for their letterbox delivered to a neighbour.

They can also call 08457 740 740 or go to http://www.royalmail.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to have items redelivered on a convenient date, or to another address in the same postcode area.

[TeeferTiger]

Why are people blocking the crossing?!

[Terryk]

Not terribly well written. The pedestrian crossing is right outside the Post Office so the queue snakes down the pavement by the crossing. Conceviably that could make it difficult for people to get on the pavement from the crossing, but the queue itself is not stretching across the road!

[PhilthyPhil]

Those opening times seem very poor for what is quite a large town. The town my DO is in is about a quarter of the size of Wokingham and yet our callers is open 0900-1800. The size of the yard and access look pretty bad as well, its not very surprising there was an accident. What is surprising is that RM haven't flogged the building and moved to an industrial estate.