Postcomm proposes clearer rules for exceptions to the universal postal service
On 9 July Postcomm announced a set of rules for deciding when Consignia does not have to make daily deliveries to particular addresses.
Consignia has a legal obligation to provide a universal postal service of deliveries six days a week to every home or premises in the UK, subject only to exceptions which were determined by Postcomm under provisions in Consignia's licence. Such exceptions include addresses where access is via difficult or dangerous terrain (a health and safety exception) or on islands which do not have a daily ferry service (a difficulty of access exception).
In a consultation document published today, Postcomm proposes to codify the existing arrangements for deciding exceptions and to introduce a right of appeal. These changes will not increase the number of long term exceptions.
Today’s proposals include:
· a more precise definition of remote addresses where Consignia will not be expected to deliver
· the offer of alternative delivery arrangements to enable a universal service to be provided to approved alternative delivery points
· opportunities for customers to ask for a review and to appeal against Consignia’s decisions on exceptions
Up to now, any exceptions to the universal service have been agreed locally between the Royal Mail delivery office and the customer. Most people are happy with this arrangement. Analysis of responses from a recent survey of more than 3000 of these customers by Postwatch, the consumer watchdog, shows that less than 100 wanted to change their delivery arrangements. Of those that did, in some cases the original reason for the exception – such as the presence of a dangerous dog, or a rough access road – no longer applied. Numerical results, and an analysis of these customers by Postwatch, are included in the document.
The document proposes a “fifteen minute rule” to define whether an address along a private track kept in poor condition should receive daily postal deliveries to the premises. If it takes a postman more than 15 minutes to reach the house and return to the road outside, Royal Mail can suggest an alternative delivery point. Of course, if the track is in such poor condition that there is a health and safety risk to staff, alternative delivery arrangements will apply anyway. On good roads, Postcomm believes there should be no limit on the time taken to reach a remote address.
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A key safeguard for customers is that whenever an address is excepted or temporarily suspended from the universal service, Royal Mail should offer and agree alternative delivery arrangements, and inform the customer that the decision is subject to a review and appeal process at the customers’ request. Appeal is first to Royal Mail, then, if not agreed, to Postwatch and, if necessary, Postcomm.
There are already many delivery arrangements in use, often at a customer’s request, which do not fit the stereotype of delivery through a letter box in a front door. These include deliveries to roadside mailboxes, company mailrooms, site offices in caravan parks, numbered boxes at blocks of flats or to an address nominated by the customer, such as a neighbour’s house. Postcomm proposes to approve such alternative delivery points as meeting Consignia’s universal service obligation, provided the customer concerned has requested or agreed to them. Postcomm’s proposals remove doubt about what delivery arrangements are required from Consignia, and what arrangements customers can expect.
Roadside boxes would only be used where the customer requests a box or where mail cannot be delivered to the door. There are no plans to extend the use of roadside boxes.
NOTES
A key priority of Postcomm’s long term policy is to ensure that the number of homes or premises excepted from delivery every working day is kept to a minimum. Royal Mail currently delivers mail to the door of all but a very small proportion (0.011% — around 1 in 9,000) of the 27 million addresses in the UK. The current proposals will not increase that proportion. Royal Mail estimates that there are currently just over 3000 addresses not receiving the full universal service on a long term basis. Nearly 2000 of these already receive a daily delivery at alternative delivery points. Most of the rest are on islands without a daily ferry service.
Royal Mail has a legal duty to protect the health and safety of its staff. Where this is at risk because access to premises is only possible across difficult terrain or over treacherous paths on mountainsides, Postcomm proposes that long term exceptions on health and safety grounds will apply.
Long term exceptions will also apply to addresses on islands served by regular but not daily ferry services. In these instances, Royal Mail should provide deliveries on the days on which a ferry service is available. Fewer than 1100 addresses receive mail less than 6 days a week; three-quarters of these are on islands without a daily ferry service.
On islands and other locations only accessible by boat but which do not have a ferry service, Royal Mail should provide a postal delivery service once a week using a local boat hire company, with mail available for picking up free of charge from the local delivery office on other days.
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Customers who dislike intrusion will be able to request a temporary suspension of the universal service, either by nominating an alternative delivery point or a reduced frequency to the door.
The consultation document, Consignia Licence Condition 1 – Exceptions to the Universal Service Obligation, can be found on Postcomm’s website, www.postcomm.gov.uk. Copies are available from Postcomm at 6 Hercules Road, London SE1 7DB.
