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A total of 3,500 solar-powered “postboxes of the future” are being rolled out by Royal Mail across the UK following a successful pilot scheme.
So how do locals feel about saying goodbye to our beloved red post boxes?
The Argus visited St Dials in Cwmbran, where many residents spoke about the removal of their red post boxes.
Pamela Williams 79, argued that this would cause many older people to struggle to adapt to the new technology.
She said: “I’m absolutely gutted they are scrapping them. I don’t use any of it this online stuff. I’m old fashioned. It’s terrible and it’s not just older people there’s a lot of people that aren’t techy minded anyway why get rid of them? All the things that we are used to are going.”
As it turns out, Pamela wasn’t alone in her opinion that older people and less technology inclined people may struggle.
Jamie Hall, 51, said: “I struggle using digital stuff and I want them to stay. Why’d they get rid of it? -Just done away with.
“I check my bank statements, but when it comes to the post, I use the boxes or go inside it’ll impact a lot of people especially the elderly.”
Cwmbran’s younger generation also shared their thoughts on the subject.
Shane Marsh, 21, and Elizabeth Kindred, 21, shared their views.
Shane said: “Lots of older people I know have got older phones and sometimes with the Royal Mail you can scan and do a lot of stuff from your doorstep. An older person might not know how to do that.
“You see these post boxes everywhere and I think with these new ones they’ve just over engineered something that doesn’t need to be fixed. They’ve just created a problem for something that was never a problem.
Elizabeth Kindred, 21, added: “So, my grandma struggles with her sight, and she has to use a magnifying glass, and I think with a lot of older people this will just be harder for them.
“they’re not used to it this new technology.”
Some people had mixed feelings.
Lewis Jenkins, 35, said: “For me it wouldn’t bother me equally I know how some people could struggle. There are going to be pockets of our generation where it is a negative for them.
“However, people adapt and if it’s managed well it can work. Old people are stuck in their ways in the nicest way possible. I know if my nan was doing it, she wouldn’t bother.”
The redesigned boxes allow customers to send and return labelled parcels up to shoebox size, scan barcodes, access a drop-down drawer for larger items, and use the Royal Mail app to track parcels or receive proof of posting.
Featuring a solar panel and separate letter slot, the new design marks the biggest change to the iconic postbox in 175 years and is part of the company’s efforts to make parcel services more convenient nationwide.
Jack Clarkson, managing director of Out of Home and Commercial Excellence at Royal Mail, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before. This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces.
“There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK. Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
