Royal Mail to phase out bicycles in UK
The traditional postman’s bike is to be scrapped after Royal Mail ruled that Britain’s roads are now too dangerous, reports The Daily Telegraph. The article continues:
Tens of thousands of the Royal Mail’s bicycles are to be largely phased out with many sent to Africa.
It will mark the end of an era for postmen who used to deliver the vast majority of letters and parcels on two wheels.
The bicycles will now be largely replaced by vans – with walking postmen pushing trolleys in areas not suitable for motor vehicles.
Adam Crozier, the outgoing chief executive of the Royal Mail, disclosed the policy in a letter to a peer.
He said that bicycles “posed a wider safety risk associated with British street networks where the rider is exposed to greater risks than other vehicle users”.
“We expect to see a reduction in the number of delivery accidents as a result of our rollout of the new delivery technology, as a substantial proportion of accidents are currently liked to the use of bicycles on busy road networks,” he added.
Crozier also disclosed that the Royal Mail had considered introducing “tricycles”. However, he said: “The use of freight tricycles is problematic unless terrain is extremely flat.”
Lord Berkeley, a Labour peer and keen cyclist, said the plan was a “slap in the eye” for Government attempts to encourage more cycling.
Lord Hunt, a business minister, said: “I think we need to understand that the main reason for the change is to improve efficiency of the Post Office,” he said.
He said the bicycle panniers could carry a maximum of 32kg which was often not sufficient “for the parcels and packages that are becoming an increasing part of the postman’s lot to deliver”.
Last night, Royal Mail said it was not phasing out bicycles “completely”. However, a spokesman refused to say how many bicycles were being retained.
