St Austell could lose morning postal service if Royal Mail proposals go through
The change would see mail arriving for sorting at the delivery office at 11.30am, rather than 6am. This would mean that the local delivery postal workers would start not long before most people start their lunch, and deliver from about 12.30 onwards.
Now we know that wherever you are somebody has to be at the end of the line. I made this point in a newspaper article over a decade ago when I suggested that people retiring early to the country to set up their own business should, as well as looking at internet speeds, should find out when the mail was delivered. At the time I was delivering as late as 2pm to some farms and other businesses in rural homes half-a-mile from the nearest country road. And what about the 9am Special Delivery service? That would involve extra van journeys, just to get one piece of mail delivered.
But things have changed. Commuters don't expect to get the mail before they leave for work, retired people don't get so much mail anyway, and a large part of the population relies on social media and the internet for their communications.
But businesses in rural towns should be entitled to their mail early enough in the day that they can process it and get some answers out again the same day. Some business still receive a good number of cheques and are in rural town with banks, and it is good to get the banking done the same day, if only to reduce the interest paid on their loans. Even here in Norfolk where the postmen start at 6 or 7, the local council and a large supermarket are now paying extra to have their post delivered at a reasonable time because the 'normal' time was too late.
With the bank cut-off at 3pm, if you don't get the mail delivered until 2pm, because the delivery office doesn't receive it until 11.30 (on a good day), you're going to lose a day. The only saving grace, if your delivery van also does the collections, is that you'll still get 24 hours to turn round anything that needs to be (say) signed and returned, because the collection will also be later!
But if this goes through in Cornwall, then other areas could follow. Just think, the postmen could do deliveries from one town in the morning, and then do another in the afternoon?
I live in London, within 600 metres of the Wembley sorting office. Five years ago the mail arrived on my doorstep by 10am at the latest. Today I am lucky if the mail arrives by 2pm at the earliest. It can arrive as late as 4.30pm - 5pm.
ReplyDeleteThe local letterbox gets emptied by 2pm at the latest. Used to be 2 collections per day, but just the one now.
Having spoken to my postman this week, changes are afoot at the sorting office. Talk of closure, and moving the staff to Northolt, yet they will still have to travel to Wembley to carry out their daily rounds, which ultimately means instead of walking the round, they will require transport to get them their.
It seems to be very much luck of the draw. ON the last Local re-organisation we actually started getting mail earlier as we were then at the beginning of the round.
ReplyDeleteCornwall's problem is there are no big cities
I heard that Royal Mail ere exploring postmen becoming self-employed businesses offering 7 day deliveries like couriers!. I think parcel Force already do this to some extent
John Embrey
Yes, that's correct for Parcelforce, John.
DeleteI spoke to my postie. During the school summer holidays, he did his round on his own, and would deliver at quite a reasonable time (before I have lunch but not very early). He said now the schools are back, he is partnered up with another postie but they do his round first, before coming to my area, so post arrives after 3pm.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to ask him if he had one of those handstamp cancel things you mentioned a while back.
Awaited delivery from Yodel last week - they've messed up or was it the company selling the item we bought, so perhaps next week the item will arrive (probably too big for RM / Parcelforce as it is an item of furniture).
I live in a Village in Devon we have a Post Box in Road,but as I said to Ms Moya Greene,when they changed the Collection times.The Mail is delivered any time up till 14.00 but the Box is emptied at 9.30am in the week and 7am on a Saturday so how can you reply to any mail received.
ReplyDeleteI was told that there is a Post Office near by 1/2 mile away. (with a later Collection),that fine but when you are getting old and it down/up a hill and you walk with a Stick it's not good.
Robert
so easy.
Dear All, I am a postman in Edinburgh, no one wants later deliveries, but Moyer Green and co. have to make money out of RM, and they want to get rid of Night Shift, not all but a lot by moving to later deliviries, I am not a union member,but anough is anough in this battle
DeleteDear All
DeleteI am a postman in Edinburgh, no one wants latter deliveries, but it does seem that Cornwall is doing a bit of catch up time, as most of the deliveries are done in as Park and Loupe for the the last six years. Only one place of compliante london, who seem have there own way of workink
Duncan
Mobile Cheque Imaging is shortly to be introduced by the Banks and Building Societies and this will allow private and business customers to pay in images of cheques until some agreed time (likely to be well after 3PM) and as it cuts drastically the amount of paperwork travelling between bank branches it is likely to considerably reduce RMs volume of this business.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think banks moved many cheques around phyiscally now; many are imaged when paid in, and there aren't so many used now. It will impact, but I don't think it will be huge, and RM may not even be affected given the other secure carriers working for the banks.
DeleteI have seen pickups from at least two different banks locally after 3 PM with an unmarked white van with a windscreen sticker 'Carrying internal mail only', the driver in full RM uniform.
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