News

The expression "on yer bike!" will no longer apply in Royal Mail as they have announced the phasing out of bicycles for postal delivery.



Royal Mail is to phase out nearly all its British-made bicycles used by postmen and women across the country after more than 120 years. UNI Post & Logistics UK affiliate, the CWU, UK believe the move could signal the end of neighbourhoods having their own dedicated postman and will lead to the closure of local delivery centres and further cuts of staff hours.



Instead of travelling by bicycle postal delivery workers will be expected to travel to their patches in vans, and deliver their letters and parcels from trolleys made in China.



The £450 bicycles, which have been supplied by Stratford-upon-Avon-based firm Pashley Cycles since 1971, are still used on a quarter of routes, but under the new plan only 500 will survive.



Under the plan, being tested in Cambridge, Plymouth, Durham and Lincoln, up to three posties will deliver mail across a wide area before driving their van to another location.



Royal Mail said that some postal delivery workers will be given a four-wheel pull-along trolley, while others on rounds with steep hills will get battery-powered ones.



It is believed that Royal Mail will extend the scheme nationwide, although some postmen will be allowed to keep bicycles on rural routes.



The CWU, which is currently in bitter strike action with Royal Mail to try and get proper negotiations for post modernisation, believes that job losses and office closures will be a very real threat. They say that once deliveries are centralised, there will be no need for so many local offices.