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Concern has been expressed at suggestions that the Royal Mail may seek to introduce higher prices for parcel postage in rural areas.
The loss of the universal postage rate has alarmed Isles MSP Alasdair Allan, who has called for assurances that the proposed new delivery zones are not opening the way to poorer and more expensive levels of service in the Highlands and Islands.
Dr Allan has written to the Royal Mail and the UK Government after reports came of the Royal Mail updating their delivery ‘zones’, which they say is to “better reflect the cost of servicing certain areas”.
This has sparked fears that this is the first step toward zonal pricing, charging customers higher fees for posting to the Highlands and Islands (as well as parts of Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and Falkirk).
Comments Dr Allan: “Zonal pricing for Royal Mail services must be fought at all costs. Islanders already struggle to get items delivered without facing outrageous surcharges from courier companies – something the UK government could legislate on to prevent, but refuses to do.
“It is vital that Royal Mail continue in the spirit of the universal service obligation, and don’t discriminate financially against rural and island areas (or even urban areas, like Inverness) based on their perceived ‘remoteness’.”
He points out that though the Royal Mail was privatised over a decade ago – and is now owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský – the UK government remains responsible for ensuring the company meets its Universal Service Obligation (USO) requirements.
“While Ofcom was consulting on its recent USO changes (reducing the required regularity of 2nd class deliveries), they did not receive any consultation responses from the Highlands and Islands, due perhaps in part to the fact that they only ventured as far north as Edinburgh to conduct their public engagement sessions,” added the Isles MSP.
“I hope that customers in the islands receive meaningful reassurances that the new delivery zones are not opening the way to a poorer level of service in the Highlands and Islands.”
While Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation protects 1st and 2nd class post price setting, the company recently introduced its “Tracked 24/48” parcel service, which resembles 1st and 2nd class postage in all but name. These services are not price-protected in the same way as 1st and 2nd class postage.
Image credit – anjalirego.com (creative commons)
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