Postcomm today published the terms and conditions for the new standard postal licence. This implements the decision, announced on 29 May 2002, to allow rival operators to provide long-term mail services in competition with Royal Mail Group.
The new licence will come into operation from I January 2003 and will have a minimum life of seven years. Up to now, with the exception of Royal Mail, all postal operators have been restricted to interim licences of a minimum of 12 months’ duration.
The terms and conditions of the standard licence include a requirement for all postal operators to safeguard the mail, to set their own service standards and report on both of these twice a year to Postcomm and Postwatch, the consumer watchdog. The licence also requires operators to put in place a guarantee which would ensure that, if they go out of business, any undelivered mail is properly dealt with.
The decision document, Licences under the Postal Services Act 2000: Standard Conditions can be found on Postcomm’ s website, www.postcomm.gov.uk. Copies are available from Postcomm at 6 Hercules Road, London SE1
