Postcomm consults on an interim licence for SDS

Postcomm today began consultation on the proposed issue of a short-term
licence to Special Delivery Services (SDS).
SDS currently handles the delivery of 40,000 credit cards and store cards a
day for 26 major financial institutions. The proposed pilot licence would enable
SDS additionally to collect and sort credit card statements and ancillary mail
for some of its existing customers and pass these to Consignia for final
delivery. The most this service will carry will be 30 million items of mail a
year.
Postcomm is minded to grant the licence because it is satisfied that the
amount of mail that can be carried, both in isolation, and cumulatively with
other licences already granted or proposed, will not have an adverse effect on
Consignia’s ability to provide the universal service. If granted, the licence
would allow SDS to process in a year less than half the number of items that
Consignia handles in a day. In addition, all the mail will be delivered by
Consignia, which will be paid a fair rate for the work.
The licence will last for one year. Details of the consultation and the text of the
proposed licence can be found on Postcomm’s website,
www.Postcomm.gov.uk. Copes are available from Postcomm at 6 Hercules
Road, London SE1 7DB. The consultation period will end on 27 May 2002.