Doorstep deliveries will not be scrapped
THE Post Office insisted yesterday that door-to-door deliveries, the traditional cornerstone of the service, are safe, despite growing speculation that plans are being hatched to scrap the service.
A spokesman for Consignia, the new name for the Post Office, stressed concern over the future of the doorstep delivery service was unfounded and also said there were no plans to sell-off its loss-making Parcel Force delivery operation.
Fears for the delivery service’s future flared after Consignia’s chief executive John Roberts set a target for the company to make 15 per cent cost savings – more than £1 billion – by April 2003.
People living in rural areas such as the Scottish Highlands have feared that they were faced with collecting their mail from a central location, such as a supermarket or local sub-post office or face paying a hefty surcharge to have mail delivered to their home.
But yesterday a Consignia spokesman said: “Door-to-door deliveries are safe. We are looking at delivery specifications across the board, which may include introducing a premium service for some of our business customers who may want an earlier service, but we will still offer the standard delivery service to homes.”
Parcel Force’s future was thrown into doubt after it lost £44 million last year. The company said a review of operations has been carried out.
But they said no decision has yet been taken over restructuring Parcel Force and denied that selling off the business was on the agenda.
The pledges come after the Communication Workers Union warned of industrial action in the New Year after Consignia raised the prospect of up to 30,000 job losses under cost-cutting plans.
The Scotsman
