Businesses to get priority as postal deliveries are cut
Businesses are to get priority over households for early postal deliveries, Royal Mail said yesterday.
It confirmed proposals, first made at the start of the year, to drop the second daily delivery and replace it with a single delivery to business addresses between 7am and 9am.
Urban households should receive mail between 9am and 1pm, while rural homes would receive post by late lunchtime.
Royal Mail hopes the proposals will ensure more first class mail arrives the next working day.
A pilot scheme affecting 300,000 addresses in 14 areas, including Plymouth, east London, Edinburgh and Llanelli, will start by the spring.
Royal Mail said: “Our delivery patterns have not been changed for many years, and we believe there is scope to increase efficiency and improve reliability.”
If the pilot scheme is successful, Royal Mail plans to put the changes into effect nationally in about 18 months.
The move comes as Consignia, Royal Mail’s embattled parent company, tries to cut costs, and faces the introduction of competition.
Postwatch, the postal consumer watchdog, said it was vital that customers’ needs be taken into account in the pilot schemes.
“In practice, Royal Mail’s proposals mean that most households will not see a difference in the time they receive post, as many rural homes, for example, do not get their mail until late morning or early afternoon.
“But we are concerned that the views of people who work from their homes are taken into account,” it said.
The Federation of Small Businesses said people who worked from home relied on early delivery of post because it often contained cheques and vital letters such as orders.
“We are very concerned that the Post Office is preparing small businesses for what will be a second-rate service,” said the federation.
Ian Fletcher, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said small companies would face “considerable difficulties” if post did not arrive until 12.30pm.
A Royal Mail spokesman said home-based businesses could register for earlier deliveries.
Page 4; Edition London Ed1; Section NATIONAL NEWS
Copyright 2002: Financial Times Group
