Jersey Post gets five-day delivery go-ahead

Jersey Post has been given the green light to reduce its number of weekly delivery days from six to five. The operator submitted a request to the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) in December, which has been subsequently approved.

Jersey Post will be allowed to make the change from 1 April 2011.

The move comes in light of falling mail volumes, not only on the island, but also across the world.

Jersey Post explained that since 2003, volumes have fallen by 4% per annum and in the past three years this has accelerated to over a 10% per annum.

The 2010 Richard Hooper Report, published on behalf of the UK government, predicts that over the next five years, globally, mail volumes will decrease by between 25% and 40%.

Furthermore, Jersey Post has come under increased pressure after the JCRA’s announcement in October that Citipost and Hub Europe have been given licences to provide postal services to the island.

According to the JCRA, Jersey Post estimates that a reduction to a five days per week service will reduce costs by approximately £500,000 per annum, which is part of their overall annual £4.9m cost savings initiative, implemented last year and due to be fully realised by early 2012.

In its report, the JCRA stated that in the longer term, a five day service supports sustainability of postal services.

As it stands, 21 of the 27 EU member states already have a five-day per week service in operation.

Furthermore, the reduction in service days is being considered by several other operators, including USPS and Guernsey Post, as the industry battles falling volumes.