Sunday, October 22, 2006
Action Update - Where have all the post boxes gone?
I had some letters to post tonight, and was very disappointed to see that the second-closest post box to my house (the corner of Gardner Road and Arthur Street) has been taped up. I only have to use this one because the one closest to my house (Clough Drive) was taken away last year. So now this is the second decommissioned post box in twelve months in the 500 yards surrounding my house. And it’s the latest in a string of post box removals in Prestwich over the last couple of years.
It’s irritating for a number of reasons. First and foremost it’s inconvenient for local people – I don’t like having to talk further to the post box, and I'm sure nobody else does either. It’s especially inconvenient for local residents unable to walk very far. I know of several elderly residents of Mountside Crescent and the far end of Gardner Road who won’t relish the prospect of having to walk all the way to the Precinct or the Post Office to post a letter, especially on a freezing winter’s day or a dark night.
Second, it comes on top of the problems with the Royal Mail in the recent past – the abandonment of the second delivery, erratic times of the remaining delivery, and confusion with the new first class pricing regime.
And third, there’s been no communication (to my knowledge) of the fact that this was happening, or why. Local residents depend on postal services, and we’re being deprived of them without a word of apology or explanation.
I shall be writing to the Royal Mail about this (assuming I can find a post box in which to deposit my letter), and will let you know the outcome.
Rick
It’s irritating for a number of reasons. First and foremost it’s inconvenient for local people – I don’t like having to talk further to the post box, and I'm sure nobody else does either. It’s especially inconvenient for local residents unable to walk very far. I know of several elderly residents of Mountside Crescent and the far end of Gardner Road who won’t relish the prospect of having to walk all the way to the Precinct or the Post Office to post a letter, especially on a freezing winter’s day or a dark night.
Second, it comes on top of the problems with the Royal Mail in the recent past – the abandonment of the second delivery, erratic times of the remaining delivery, and confusion with the new first class pricing regime.
And third, there’s been no communication (to my knowledge) of the fact that this was happening, or why. Local residents depend on postal services, and we’re being deprived of them without a word of apology or explanation.
I shall be writing to the Royal Mail about this (assuming I can find a post box in which to deposit my letter), and will let you know the outcome.
Rick
# posted by Richard Baum @ 22:37 
Comments:
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seriously though, now we have e-mail, it clearly doesn't make financial sense (and it's your money the're spending) to keep the postal service as it was. if people are sending fewer letters, then there are just going to have to be fewer post boxes, (innit!) at least they did the sensible thing and kept the one in the precinct, rather than the one at the top of your road! love xx
I think you're wrong. Letter numbers aren't falling dramatically (see http://www.news.royalmailgroup.com/news/articlea.asp?id=1626&brand=royal_mail_group to find out that they've only dipped slightly, and only very recently). It may be to do with Royal Mail fearing competition. But the way to address rivals is, in my opinion, to keep pleasing the customers you've got, and thus attract new ones. Closing post boxes and ending your one Unique Selling Point (a massive local network) is not the way to do it, I would say.
The mail regulator is opening ip competition for domestic mail for the first time shortly. There has been competition with parcel and package delivery for some time.
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