Deadline to speed up An Post postal deliveries

Deadline to speed up postal deliveries

Irish Independent, Sep 21, 2001
BY AILISH O’HORA

THE telecom regulator’s office has set a deadline for An Post in a bid to speed up next day delivery of mail.

The Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation (ODTR), which also regulates An Post, has set an interim target for 2002 of a next day delivery of 92pc nationally for all mail and 94pc for all local post.

Up to now An Post has not been meeting its own target of 90pc next day delivery for all mail.

The ODTR has called on the An Post to submit a plan by April 2, 2001 that would include detailed costed proposals for a target of 97pc next day delivery for first calls letters from January 1, 2003.

“It appears that if An Post is to achieve this target it will be necessary to consider new options, such as giving business and other customers who post large quantities of mail at the same time the choice between a first class and letter post service offering next day delivery and a number of cheaper options which do not involve sorting during the evening peak,” said Etain Doyle, telecoms regulator.

According to research by Irish Marketing Surveys, 73pc of Irish businesses believe that all business should have the choice of a first class service with next day delivery and a cheaper second class service with delivery within three days.

Apart from issuing a paper relating to quality of service, the ODTR has also issued another regarding An Post’s accounting system and EU requirements to prepare separate accounts for different businesses.

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