Canada Post undertakes rural mailbox review
Over the next several years, Canada Post is proposing to review the physical location of more than 840,000 rural mailboxes across Canada.
The move comes on the heels of nearly 2,000 safety complaints against the federal agency since 2004.
Communications officer Mario Circelli appeared before council Tuesday afternoon to talk about a new program being undertaken by Canada Post.
“Over the next number of years Canada Post will be reviewing the physical location of 843,000 rural mailboxes,” Circelli said. “Our rural country roads aren’t so quiet anymore.”
Circelli said that Bill C-45 places the onus on employee safety squarely on the shoulders of the employer. “That’s not just Canada Post, that is every business, and we have decided to take a moral responsibility.”
Circelli said the Traffic Safety Assessment Tool (TSAT) was the result of a growing problem across Canada with the delivery of mail to rural mailboxes.
Looking at a number of factors from legal restrictions to the number of lanes, shoulder width, centre line markings, traffic volume and sight distance, TSAT is a mathematical equation that can be applied across Canada to any rural mailbox to determine the suitability of its location.
According to Circelli, with TSAT there are only three possible outcomes: 1) Rural mailboxes meet the safety criteria and the customer is notified in writing, 2) Rural mailboxes fail to meet the criteria and the customer has the opportunity to move it, or 3) If the customer cannot relocate the mailbox a community mailbox or post office box may be required.
Circelli stressed that Canada Post will not cut off mail delivery to any home throughout the process.
Over the next several years, Canada Post is proposing to review the physical location of more than 840,000 rural mailboxes across Canada.
The move comes on the heels of nearly 2,000 safety complaints against the federal agency since 2004.
Communications officer Mario Circelli appeared before council Tuesday afternoon to talk about a new program being undertaken by Canada Post.
“Over the next number of years Canada Post will be reviewing the physical location of 843,000 rural mailboxes,” Circelli said. “Our rural country roads aren’t so quiet anymore.”
Circelli said that Bill C-45 places the onus on employee safety squarely on the shoulders of the employer. “That’s not just Canada Post, that is every business, and we have decided to take a moral responsibility.”
Circelli said the Traffic Safety Assessment Tool (TSAT) was the result of a growing problem across Canada with the delivery of mail to rural mailboxes.
“We have a problem, and what Canada Post did is went out and hired some experts,” he said.
Looking at a number of factors from legal restrictions to the number of lanes, shoulder width, centre line markings, traffic volume and sight distance, TSAT is a mathematical equation that can be applied across Canada to any rural mailbox to determine the suitability of its location.
“TSAT is a scientific means to go out and measure a mailbox … It is a mathematical equation and out comes a result.”
According to Circelli, with TSAT there are only three possible outcomes: 1) Rural mailboxes meet the safety criteria and the customer is notified in writing, 2) Rural mailboxes fail to meet the criteria and the customer has the opportunity to move it, or 3) If the customer cannot relocate the mailbox a community mailbox or post office box may be required.
Circelli stressed that Canada Post will not cut off mail delivery to any home throughout the process.
To date, 11,091 rural mailboxes have been assessed throughout the province with 4,863 (44 percent) passing, and 6,228 (56 percent) failing.
“At no time will Canada Post cut off mail delivery,” he said. “Canada Post is committed to rural mail delivery, but we are also committed to the safety of our drivers and the safety of the travelling public; It’s a big project, it’s an important project.”
