End of the road for Royal Mail bikes

Royal Mail is to phase out nearly all its British-made bicycles used by postmen and women across the country after more than 120 years, reports The Daily Telegraph. The article continues:

Unions believe the move could signal the end of neighbourhoods having their own dedicated postman and will lead to the closure of local delivery centres and further cuts of staff hours.

Instead of travelling by bicycle postmen and women will be expected to travel to their patches in vans, and deliver their letters and parcels from trolleys made in China.

The £450 bicycles, which have been supplied by Stratford-upon-Avon-based firm Pashley Cycles since 1971, are still used on a quarter of routes, but under the new plan only 500 will survive.

A spokesman for Pashley said: “We expect our arrangement with Royal Mail to end imminently.”

Under the plan, being tested in Cambridge, Plymouth, Durham and Lincoln, up to three postmen will deliver mail across a wide area before driving their van to another location.

Royal Mail said that some postmen will be given a four-wheel pull-along trolley, while others on rounds with steep hills will get battery-powered ones.

It is believed that Royal Mail will extend the scheme nationwide, although some postmen will be allowed to keep bicycles on rural routes.

A spokesman for the Communication Workers Union said: “Job losses and office closures will be a very real threat. Once deliveries are centralised, there will be no need for so many local offices.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said the changes were needed to “deliver the mail as efficiently as possible”.

He added: “We will continue to use a range of vans, trolleys and bikes where appropriate. There are no plans to phase out bikes completely.”