The Regulator Ofcom has said it is proposing to scrap second class letter deliveries on Saturdays and reduce the service to be on alternate weekdays, while also lowering Royal Mail’s delivery targets
First Class Mail is to remain six days a week under the proposals and the price cap on Second Class stamps is to continue
The regulator says that the Universal service urgently needs reform to reflect what people need and protect its future
The world has changed – we’re sending a third of the letters we were 20 years ago. We need to reform the postal service to protect its future and ensure it delivers for the whole of the UK.
But we’re safeguarding what matters most to people – First Class mail six days a week at the same price throughout the UK, and a price cap on Second Class stamps says Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications
Ofcom’s research suggests that affordability and reliability are now more important to people than speed of delivery.
People have daid that most letters are not urgent. However, eight in ten value having a next-day service available for when they need to send the occasional urgent item, and a similar proportion value being able to send something for the same price anywhere in the UK.
On average, UK households spend just 60p per week on postal services – 0.11% of their weekly outgoings. However, nine in ten (90%) say it is important to have an affordable option available.
In recent years, Royal Mail’s delivery performance has not been good enough. In the last 18 months, Ofcom have fined the company more than £16m, and we will continue to hold it to account.
However, given the postal market has changed significantly since Royal Mail’s delivery standards were set two decades ago, we believe it is right to re-assess these targets with the future in mind, as has been done in many other countries already says the regulator
