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Created: Oct 18, 2024 07:55 AM
A backlog of overseas post is being cleared after an X-ray machine at LF Wade International Airport broke down (File photograph by Akil Simmons)
Overseas mail is now being processed after a broken scanning machine at LF Wade International Airport was fixed.
Post offices across the island had been told to stop accepting outbound mail owing to the issue with an X-ray machine.
A government spokeswoman said yesterday: “An issue with the screening of outbound postal packages at the airport that resulted in a temporary disruption has now been resolved.
“Outbound mail is now being processed.”
The spokeswoman added: “Skyport, which is responsible for the security screening function, worked with all stakeholders including the Bermuda Post Office to resolve the matter.
“As a note, inbound mail was not affected during the temporary disruption.
“The BPO apologises for any inconvenience caused.”
No information was released on how long the X-ray machine was out of action, but two people who contacted The Royal Gazette said they had posted packages to Britain weeks ago that had not arrived.
One woman said she had sent two packages, one of them three weeks ago and another two weeks ago.
“I was told by postal staff that the screening machine at the airport was broken,” she said.
Another woman also contacted the Gazette concerned after she sent her passports to Britain to be renewed.
The woman, who said she had sent the passports on September 27, had also been informed that the airport scanner was not working.
She said that “no one had called to say if they could be collected” and added: “The mail has been just sitting at the airport; why has no one been told?”
One person posted on Facebook that the issue had been going on “for weeks” and added: “I went to request my package back. There was no notice, no nothing.
“If I didn’t keep calling and then eventually just go, I wouldn’t have happened to see the print out ‘notice’ at the cashiers saying there was an issue and not to accept new mail … ?
“What about those who have sent mail weeks ago though … when were we gonna be told?”
The X-ray problem had prompted a notice from the sub post office operations manager that said that the Postmaster-General had “officially advised that all sub post office locations stop accepting outbound mail effective immediately”.
It added: “Reason — the Bermuda Post Office cannot dispatch mail overseas as ‘the X-ray machine at Bermuda’s international airport is presently out of service and all outbound mail and air cargo needs to be screened, as part of a security process per Transportation Security Administration regulations, to ensure the safety of mail and cargo during transport’.”
A spokeswoman for Skyport explained: “The primary X-ray machine used for scanning outgoing mail was temporarily down due to a software update that required the manufacturer’s involvement.
“During that time, alternative measures were implemented. The update has now been completed and the primary unit is back in service.
“The backlog of mail is being processed.”
It is understood that private courier firms are not affected as they have access to their own scanning machines.
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