Consignia admits inefficiency
CONSIGNIA admitted yesterday that limited capacity at local sorting offices means that five million letters will be diverted hundreds of miles away from their destinations.
The former Post Office, which recently announced plans to make 30,000 postal workers redundant, claims that it is quicker to divert items long distances when local centres are busy.
One Christmas card was sent from Marks Tey in Essex to Feering, just two miles away.
However, to reach its destination, the secondclass delivery was sent to Edinburgh on a 776-mile trip.
Consumer group Postwatch attacked the policy of diverting mail.
“This makes no sense at all. The more links in the chain, the more likely it is to go wrong, ” a spokesman said.
However a Consignia spokeswoman insisted that it was vital in order to ensure that delivery targets were met.
