Boost for high delivery fees fight

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Articl ... 6?UserKey=


trio of high-profile figures add their voices to calls for an inquiry

A campaign to stop courier companies charging inflated prices for deliveries to the Highlands gathered pace yesterday, when a trio of high-profile figures added their voices to calls for an inquiry.

Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan and Inverness Ness-side councillor John Finnie both signed an online petition lodged on the number10.gov.uk website.

And Danny Alexander, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, also offered his support to a Moray businessman who is calling for a UK Government investigation into delivery charges to the Highlands.

Terence Watson, 50, of Mannachie Grove, Forres, started the petition because he believes couriers and suppliers are “ignorant” of Scottish geography and rely on postcodes to determine their fees.

He pointed to the example of people with a KW (Kirkwall) postcode being adjudged to live in Orkney, even if their address is on the mainland in Caithness.

In December, Mr Alexander tabled a motion in the Commons criticising “excessive delivery charges” levied by many companies on parcels sent to the Highlands and islands. The early day motion, which is supported by Highland and islands Liberal Democrat MPs Charles Kennedy, Alistair Carmichael and John Thurso, calls on the government to prohibit companies from refusing to deliver to all of the UK and place an obligation on firms to use the most affordable delivery method available.

Yesterday, Mr Alexander said: “This is a scandal that has been ignored by the government for far too long. Many constituents have raised this with me, outraged at being overcharged for simple deliveries.

“The fact that some companies refuse to deliver to our area, or will only do so at an inflated cost, is outrageous when the Royal Mail is able to deliver goods at a standard rate across the UK.

“With many Highland businesses struggling to cope in a worsening recession, it’s high time that the government took a serious look at these charges, which unfairly penalise people living in the Highlands and islands.”

Last night, Mr Watson’s e-petition had 679 signatures.

People interested in backing Mr Watson’s campaign have until April 20 to add their names to the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/highlanddelivery.

[DGP1]

is outrageous when the Royal Mail is able to deliver goods at a standard rate across the UK.

It'll not be that way if :cfo :lfo :mfo get their way.

[norbert]

is outrageous when the Royal Mail is able to deliver goods at a standard rate across the UK.

It'll not be that way if :cfo :lfo :mfo get their way.

this is it - the problem is that there isn't much left that will subsidize the true cost of delivering off the mainland

[ar26]

was told it costs Royal Mail £8 per item of mail to get it to the islands up there. as you say we don;t have a lot left to subsidise that kind of loss