Parcelforce adds 50p to C-charge deliveries

The Royal Mail’s courier business is introducing a 50p levy for deliveries inside the congestion charging zone.

Parcelforce said it was following competitors in the parcel delivery business by adding a surcharge for deliveries in central London.

A Parcelforce spokesman said it was difficult to estimate how much of the charge would be recovered. But he said the 50p surcharge paid by the sender covered consignments rather than individual items. “This is a very competitive market and we have to cover costs,” he said.

However, one of its biggest rivals, TNT, denied it had imposed a levy – and Transport for London said it had no record of any business asking customers to foot the bill. TNT said the c-charge was costing its operations Pounds 1,100 a vehicle a year but added it was absorbing the extra cost.

Some companies are believed to have passed on the extra costs in higher tariffs but Parcelforce has gone further by itemising the impact of the charge on its operations. Two years ago Royal Mail estimated the charge was costing its letters and parcel businesses Pounds 2 million a year.

Now business customers fear other delivery and transport groups will follow Parcelforce, which delivers around one million parcels a week nationwide.