New safeguards for UK rural postal services

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east ... -33291347/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

RURAL mail services are set to be safeguarded with a new Ofcom proposal on public access to post boxes.

The postal regulator is seeking a new requirement that 98% of all households across the UK should be within half a mile of a post box.

Current stipulations cover less than half of the nation’s 121 postcode areas and only 15% of its geographic area.

And Royal Mail last night welcomed the Ofcom proposals, which it says will protect postal services in rural communities.

The plans also brought a warm response from Northumberland councillor Glen Sanderson, whose Longhorsley ward covers some of the most scattered areas of the county.

Coun Sanderson said: “The rural postal service is something that has always been fragile in terms of sustainability in the eyes of many. You can travel for miles here without seeing a house, never mind a post box.

“So I would welcome this. We want to protect our postal services, and our postmen and ladies.


“There is always a Sword of Damocles slightly in the shadows and we realise it must be expensive to maintain the services in rural areas, so anything to protect it is to be supported.

“My area goes to Wingates, Scots Gap and Cambo and, having spent the last four weeks campaigning the whole area twice, I know that finding any form of post boxes is a difficulty at times.”

Royal Mail says it already complies with the 98% ruling, and regulations demanding lower levels “are not fit for purpose”.

Royal Mail’s 115,500 post boxes countrywide will now be better-protected and its legal obligation to deliver to every household in Britain remains intact.

Stephen Agar, Royal Mail consumer and network access managing director, said: “Nine out of 10 customers consider Royal Mail a core part of the community – particularly in rural areas, where we are part of the lifeblood of day-to-day communication.

“East access to post boxes is an important part of this.

“The number of post boxes in the UK – in both rural and urban areas – has remained stable for the past decade.

“We are proud that the UK has the highest level of post box provision per square kilometre of any Western European nation.

“Among the 19 countries measured by the Universal Postal Union, only Japan has a higher geographic density of post boxes.”

Stringent Government criteria on accessibility states that 93.1% of UK residents must be within a mile of a post office, and 99.7% within three miles.

Royal Mail says market research shows that the “vast majority” of users are “satisfied or very satisfied” with the current level of post box provision.

Royal Mail figures show that 99.9% of delivery routes are completed each day, and 99.9% of access points are served each day.

Plus, 93% of first-class mail is delivered next working day, and 98.5% of second class postal packets up to 1kg are delivered within three working days.

Of international mail to the EU, 85% is delivered within three working days.

[houseoflords]

FOR NOW YEA

[UnhappyGremlin]

FOR NOW YEA

Agreed. Won't last long after privatisation.