Postcomm Proposes Clearer Rules For Exceptions To The Universal Postal Service

Consignia has a legal obligation to provide a universal postal service of deliveries six days a week to every home or premises in the UK, subject only to exceptions, which were determined by Postcomm under, provisions in Consignia's licence. Such exceptions include addresses where access is via difficult or dangerous terrain (a health and safety exception) or on islands, which do not have a daily ferry service (a difficulty of access exception).

In a consultation document published today, Postcomm proposes to codify the existing arrangements for deciding exceptions and to introduce a right of appeal. These changes will not increase the number of long-term exceptions.

Today's proposals include:

• A more precise definition of remote addresses where Consignia will not be expected to deliver
• The offer of alternative delivery arrangements to enable a universal service to be provided to approved alternative delivery points
• Opportunities for customers to ask for a review and to appeal against Consignia's decisions on exceptions

Up to now, any exceptions to the universal service have been agreed locally between the Royal Mail delivery office and the customer. Most people are happy with this arrangement. Analysis of responses from a recent survey of more than 3000 of these customers by Postwatch, the consumer watchdog, shows that less than 100 wanted to change their delivery arrangements. Of those that did, in some cases the original reason for the exception - such as the presence of a dangerous dog, or a rough access road - no longer applied. Numerical results, and an analysis of these customers' responses by Postwatch, are included in the document.

The document proposes a “fifteen minute rule” to define whether an address along a private track kept in poor condition should receive daily postal deliveries right to the door. If it takes a postman more than 15 minutes to reach the house and return to the road outside, Royal Mail can suggest an alternative delivery point. Of course, if the track is in such poor condition that there is a health and safety risk to staff, alternative delivery arrangements will apply anyway. On good roads, Postcomm believes there should be no limit on the time taken to reach a remote address.

A key safeguard for customers is that whenever an address is accepted or temporarily suspended from the universal service, Royal Mail should offer and agree alternative delivery arrangements, and inform the customer that the decision is subject to a review and appeal process at the customers' request. Appeal is first to Royal Mail, then, if not agreed, to Postwatch and, if necessary, Postcomm.

There are already many delivery arrangements in use, often at a customer's request, which do not fit the stereotype of delivery through a letterbox in a front door. These include deliveries to roadside mailboxes, company mailrooms, site offices in caravan parks and numbered boxes at blocks of flats. Postcomm proposes to approve such alternative delivery points as meeting Consignia's universal service obligation, provided the customer concerned has requested or agreed to them. Postcomm' s proposals remove doubt about what delivery arrangements are required from Consignia, and what arrangements customers can expect.