The challenges and opportunities facing UK postal services
The challenges and opportunities facing UK postal services
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CitySprint Adds Electric Van to Fleet
The van, which is powered entirely by electricity, will complement CitySprint’s already broad range of environmentally friendly vehicle options for clients.
The Smith Edison Electric Van has a top speed of 50 mph, can carry over 1,300 kilograms and has a battery range of 150 miles, making it a highly competitive, zero-emission alternative to a comparable, fuel-powered model.
After satisfactory road testing, CitySprint concluded that the relatively greater capital cost of the van would be offset by potential cost savings in fuel and maintenance. The Smith Edison Electric Van is made more commercially viable still by its status as a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) free vehicle and its exemption from London’s congestion charging.
Am Pall, CitySprint’s Fleet & Specialist Services Director, says: “Being as green, practical and cost effective as it is, adding the Smith Edison Electric Van to our range of environmentally-friendly vehicles became an easy decision. We are certain that our clients will be pleased with this additional green option.”
The Smith Edison Electric Van joins the Vectrix Electric Motorcycle that was introduced to CitySprint’s range of electric and eco-friendly vehicles in 2007
CitySprint’s environmental programme has been accredited with the internationally recognised ISO14001:2004, a voluntary initiative aimed at improving environmental performance. CitySprint received considerable industry praise in 2007 winning the 2007 IFW Environment Award, the Transport for London ‘Capital Fleet of the Year’ award at the 2007 GreenFleet Awards and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award at the 2007 UK Mail Awards.
Read MoreRoyal Mail goes digital (UK)
After trials on hand-held tracker/scanners carried out by 700 Royal Mail postal workers ended in March, Royal Mail is to expand the installation of the technology throughout its fleet of vehicles.
The scanner/trackers (PDAs) are already in use by other postal and parcel operators but Royal Mail has been testing different types to establish which work best in the field. So far, none have been a great success for postal workers operating on foot, but one has been selected for use in vehicles throughout the network. The name of the manufacturer will be announced shortly.
The scanners include an emergency 999 facility to provide added protection for users, the ability to scan signatures for delivery verification, as well as log collection points in real time via GPS.
The CWU, which was initially concerned that the introduction of the technology would enable Royal Mail to ‘spy’ on workers, has agreed that the new equipment would provide an important enhancement to services as well as added protection for operatives – providing a code of conduct is agreed between the CWU and Royal Mail.
Read MoreTNT Post launches 'eco-mark' scheme
TNT Post is launching a carbon neutral addressed postal service which will allow brands to demonstrate their environmental credentials with a specially developed ‘eco-mark’.
Brands which want to display the eco-mark on their mailings will have to comply with a set of principles laid out by TNT.
In order to qualify, brands will have to undertake a carbon evaluation using a calculator which looks at the emissions of the entire mailing activity, from paper and packaging through to data, mailing house emissions and final delivery.
TNT will also assist participating brands with their carbon reduction by recommending suppliers that can help to reduce emissions, such as data cleansing and capturing undeliverables.
Brands using the service will also be required to offset their remaining emissions by investing in carbon reduction schemes.
Read MoreRoyal Mail strikes caused by modernisation changes (UK)
Royal Mail, in it’s application to the Postal Services Commission for relief from the impact of Industrial Action, said that a number of factors had caused a drop in quality of service in 2007 but the underlying cause was industrial action brought on by essential changes to make the business more efficient. It said the changes formed part of the loan it had secured from government to modernise the business.
The application timetabled the impact of events caused by national, rolling, and wildcat strikes but said that it was not possible to “identify every small event that contributed to the wider degradation in quality of service during the year as a result of work to rule and go-slow activity”.
It said that settling the industrial dispute on unsatisfactory terms had not been an option and in finding a solution to the dispute, the transformation of Royal Mail and the funding secured by government had to be protected as much as the long term interests of Royal Mail and it’s customers.
Royal Mail said that as well as industrial action over pay and conditions, it had also experienced industrial action over delivery office closures which again, were part of an overall plan to make the business more efficient. In addition, the new EC legislation relating to 56mph driving speed restrictions for 7.5 tonne vehicles, which became law in January 2008, required the restructuring of Royal Mail’s network operations and duty patterns in delivery, resulting in changes to the start time for over 100,000 delivery postmen and women. It said the CWU had used the changes as both a bargaining and propaganda tool during the dispute.
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