RM bolts over postbox after council tickets van

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail bolts over postbox after council hits their van with parking ticket

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/U-turn- ... z2QjTDtEMm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE Royal Mail sealed off a postbox after one of its workers was "caught" by a council camera car.

Metal plates were bolted over the letter slots after the Royal Mail worker was slapped with a ticket for parking while collecting post.

Plymouth City Council chiefs have since revoked the ticket after admitting it was issued in "error".

The postal worker's van was snapped by the council's camera car parked beside a postbox in Market Avenue as the postie collected letters.

Royal Mail said it blocked up the postbox when it was advised by the council that any appeal would need to be submitted in writing.

Businessman Paul Whitell, who owns the Motor Accessories Store in nearby Cornwall Street, was stunned when he found the postbox bolted over last Wednesday.

Paul said: "I couldn't believe it. They told me the camera car had caught the van beside the postbox and that they had to close it because they couldn't run the risk of a parking ticket every time they emptied it.

"I'm quite sure the council doesn't give their own refuse collectors a ticket for stopping to empty bins, so why should the Royal Mail be any different?

"It's caused a huge amount of inconvenience for people down this end of the city centre.

"The nearest postbox is St Andrew's Street. It's a bad enough struggle for traders here without having yet another service taken away."

Plymouth City Council bosses immediately recognised the hasty ticket was dished out "in error" when contacted by The Herald.

And they confirmed that the penalty will now be revoked.

A spokesman said: "We would not normally issue a penalty charge notice to a Royal Mail vehicle being used to collect post.

"This was obviously an error and an isolated incident and had Royal Mail submitted an appeal, we would have cancelled the fine immediately.

"Now that this has been brought to our attention we have cancelled the fine and hope that Royal Mail re-opens the post box for customers as soon as possible."

Royal Mail has since set about restoring the postbox to public service.

A spokesman said: "We are glad to hear that the ticket is being cancelled and we plan to reopen the post box as soon as possible."

Paul, who has used the postbox for more than 35 years, was pleased at the development but said it should never have happened.

He said: "It's ridiculous that it came to this in the first place, it's very strange.

"We need to work together to bring people back into Plymouth City Centre and fill the empty shops – this senseless miscommunication is not the way to go about doing that.

"It should never have come to this. But congratulations to The Herald for embarrassing them into cancelling the ticket."

[NWpostie]

If they do it again, suspend mail collection from outside their Town Hall for "health & safety reasons".

[demon]

nice one royal mail

[DB1100]

Score another one for self important local councils.

[DGP1]

Why didn't the DOM just put in an appeal???

Answers on a postcard to 'Blame the postie on everything so I won't have to do any work other than saying yes in the daily conference call'

[UnhappyGremlin]

In our office we have asked repeatedly for clarification regarding parking fines but no managers will commit to an answer.

We obviously have certain rights when it comes to parking, and such as this case, tickets shouldn't be issued. But we asked what happens when one is issued, and were told that it would be appealed on obvious grounds. We asked what if appeal fails? They say it shouldn't. We asked who pays if appeals fail? They say they shouldn't fail.
But what if they do? Will we have to pay? Shrugs shoulders.
We are required to park as close as possible to do our jobs, and are allowed to park in some, what would be, illegal places, if we weren't on duty. They want us to park where necessary, but want us to suffer the consequences that result. So, we know have staff who won't park illegally, and sometimes end up walking hundreds of yards to deliver a parcel, meaning they get less done. We get moaned at then for doing less. If they had made a proper decision and stated RM would pay fines, it wouldn't happen.

The managers won't take responsibility for anything, won't make decisions, and just look to blame posties for anything that happens.

[barrowc]

There are a couple of documents on the subject of parking at http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 36&t=39011