The French Court of Auditors, which presented its report on the management of La Poste between 1991 and 2002, is less than enthusiastic about the national postal services group’s new business plan for the period 2003-2007. The Court estimates that La Poste is not in a strong position to face competition on the mail market, neither in terms of its financial situation, nor the quality of its service.
Read MoreAzure Dynamics Corporation, a leading developer of hybrid electric powertrains for commercial vehicles and United States Postal Service, the world’s leading provider of mailing and delivery services, are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement whereby Azure will test and retrofit two USPS vehicles with Azure’s “Smart Energy Management” hybrid technology.
Azure will develop a prototype gas hybrid electric powertrain for USPS’s carrier route vehicle (CRV) as well as a prototype diesel hybrid electric powertrain for the USPS two-ton step van. USPS operates approximately 140,000 CRV’s and 10,000 step vans.
Read MoreRoyal Mail has said that it will no longer carry heavy parcels, because it is not making any money out of it. The mail organisation said that the company won’t carry parcels over 20kg after April 1, adding that the service is being subsidised by other users. The organisation only carries 45,000 parcels of this weight in a year – and they generally need two people to carry them. Postcomm, the mail regulator, has consented to the change, and also to Royal Mail changing the latest time for its special delivery products to be delivered from 12 noon to 3pm, to fit in with the company’s plans to move to a single, later daily delivery of post.
Read MoreAllan Leighton, chairman of Royal Mail, has told MPs that the postal organisation is talking to seven potential suppliers about continuing to transport mail on the railways. The Royal Mail scandalised unions and environmental groups in June by concluding that air and road were cheaper options for delivering post, and that the network’s mail-train services will stop by the end of next March. This was despite the fact that it had signed a 10-year contract for its rail services, ending in 2006.
Read MoreLa Poste, the French post office, has received government approval for a limited expansion into financial services despite vigorous lobbying by French banks opposed to the move, French business paper Les Echos reports.
Nicole Fontaine, the industry minister, said La Poste would be authorised to begin offering mortgages to individuals buying homes, without the need to set up a savings plan, from 2005. However, requests by La Poste to begin offering disaster insurance and consumer credit were rejected by the government. Its application to enter the consumer credit market will be reviewed again in 2006.
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