Call to scrap Isle of Man Post monopoly
One of the UK’s largest express delivery companies is petitioning the Manx government to remove the monopoly currently held by Isle of Man Post.
Business Post, the fourth-largest operator in the UK, has secured a licence from UK postal regulator Postcomm to compete with the Royal Mail.
Now it is hoping to do the same on the Island by persuading the Department of Trade and Industry to allow it access to the entire postal market. It has won major contracts for the delivery of business mail from the Royal Mail and wants to transfer its success over here.
Current legislation prohibits any other company from collecting and distributing individual items of mail less than £4 in value. This means that the majority of letters posted are dealt with by IoM Post, including business mail.
Michael Coleman, spokesman for Business Post IoM, said IoM Post’s proposed movement to limited company status meant that it was competing as a commercial entity and should therefore be open to competition.
‘If IoM Post commercialise there is talk of deregulation that would open the market to other carriers. If the post office want to enter into our areas of business then that should mean that we can compete in theirs. The MHKs will have to say that they (IoM Post] cannot have their cake and eat it.’
Edgar Quine, chairman of IoM Post, has stated that the company would expand its operations into different markets to reinvigorate the business. Mr Coleman believes the same opportunity should be extended to everyone.
