Royal Mail ditches bicycles for delivery - CEO responds

[AndrewRH]

Hi,

Way back in March 2010, Royal Mail's previous CEO announced that they were ditching bicycles for delivery due to Health & Safety reasons (arguing that using vans and push-along trolleys better given parcels to deliver). The union agreed with the decision and made accusations against CTC - see BBC: Union backs Royal Mail bike cuts.

(Aside: Yesterday, it was reported on BBC Solent Julian Clegg breakfast show that a former Royal Mail delivery man in Dorset has taken Royal Mail to a 2-day industrial tribunal - the topic: constructive dismissal due to change from bicycles to (he claims) unsuitable trolleys. See Telegraph: Postman 'forced out of job in row over bicycle')

A couple weeks back, I queried the new Royal Mail process through my local MP, Sir George Young. He contacted Royal Mail and I heard back from their new CEO (who used to be in charge of Canada Post), Moya Greene...

Mrs Greene stated in part: "We must adapt to the changing mix of mail we carry...as our people carry increasingly heavier mail bags [due to home-shopping packets] we have to consider the safety and practicality of using cycles. We have seen an increase in accidents linked to the use of cycles on busy road networks and in a number of cases these accidents result in major injury to our staff."

She continued: "This means that whilst bicycles are a sustainable and safe mode of travel for many people, there are limitations when it comes to meeting the changing needs of our customers...we need to deploy a mixture of delivery methods including increased van deliveries and the use of high capacity trolleys."

I asked Sir George to follow-up with Mrs Greene to obtain proof of their safety claims. Last week I was told that she has delegated to her staff to investigate and reply.

In Whitchurch, Hampshire, it was my observation that our local delivery was done by several people on their bicycles, and then someone drove around all the routes later dropping off bigger parcels by van. Seemed a good system that balanced the benefits/drawbacks of both modes of transport.

~Andrew~
p.s. Look how RM competitor respond: Courier trikes

[SJSBrompton]

One of my neighbours is a postman, and they aren't happy about having to walk a lot further rather than heading out on their bikes. This is in a London suburb.

My thought would be that if some home shopping suppliers minimised packaging more, the perceived 'problem' wouldn't be as bad. A paperback book taped to a big bit of cardboard and then in a box 5 times the size (pointing at Amazon here!) is a bit of a pain.

[hexhome]

I have a problem with this one. Unions are by their very nature (and now days by observation of law) democratic. If they have a majority who favour the end of cycle use then, as unfortunate as we see it, it is their choice.

[Nettled Shin]

Moya Greene seems a little confused. She says that "bicycles are a sustainable and safe mode of travel for many people", but not for postmen..."we have seen an increase in accidents linked to the use of cycles on busy road networks and in a number of cases these accidents result in major injury to our staff."

When a major UK employer produces a risk assessment that using bicycles poses an unacceptable danger to staff, where is that going to go? What other firms are going to follow suit? All of them, probably. I bet risks from heart disease, diabetes, and depression haven't informed Mrs Greene's decision to stop posties cycling.

[hexhome]

I agree that it is the wrong decision for all of those reasons, but I suspect that the average postie is a lot fitter than most occupations. Cue Dutch postie clip

[thirdcrank]

I'm prompted by a thread in the WANTED board to wonder if anybody knows what is happening to the redundant bikes

It's been suggested before that there has been no legitimate route for a Royal Mail bike to be acquired privately, but it's hard to imagine they will scrap the lot rather than try to sell them as complete bikes.

[karlt]

Moya Greene seems a little confused. She says that "bicycles are a sustainable and safe mode of travel for many people", but not for postmen..."we have seen an increase in accidents linked to the use of cycles on busy road networks and in a number of cases these accidents result in major injury to our staff."

When a major UK employer produces a risk assessment that using bicycles poses an unacceptable danger to staff, where is that going to go? What other firms are going to follow suit? All of them, probably. I bet risks from heart disease, diabetes, and depression haven't informed Mrs Greene's decision to stop posties cycling.

Those risks are probably quite low on a postman's walked round, to be fair. Here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7776425.stm, for example the postman walks at an average - that includes time taken pushing letters through doors and rearranging the stacks in the bag - of 2.4mph for several hours. I suspect that would be pretty preventative against illnesses caused by sedentary lifestyles.

As regards other firms, I'm not aware of anyone else who does routinely use bikes.

As for those trikes - fine in Cambridge. Now try it in Sheffield.

[Nettled Shin]

Those risks are probably quite low on a postman's walked round, to be fair

I couldn't have picked a worse job, could I. Posties are always going to be pretty fit.

As regards other firms, I'm not aware of anyone else who does routinely use bikes.

Another good point. I can't think of many either. They are still used by a few people on airfields, military bases, and large industrial plants to get around. And perhaps people doing a large number of house calls in a day, like Home Helps or whatever they are called these days.

[AndrewRH]

Hi,

I have just received a reply to my follow-up request to the CEO of Royal Mail. The highlights of Moya Greene's letter dated 2 Feb 2012 are:

"The capacity of cycles is limited and time is lost doubling back to the re-supply points. Using additional vehicles to supplement cycles means that we are potentially covering the same ground twice and so creating further inefficiency."

"An analysis of accident statistics showed that in 2010-11 there were a total of 576 bike related incidents accounting for 2,748 lost working days...Changing delivery methods will reduce accident rates, incident severity and musculoskeletal related sick absence."

"...we investigated and trialled the use of a range of manual and powered cycles, tricycles and trailers but for a variety of reasons they were found to be unsatisfactory. There were issues with range, hill-climbing, consistency, frame and component failures. There were also concerns of the risk of theft by third parties when 'paused' at an address."

~Andrew~

[wakou222]

I believe that the now redundant bikes are being shipped to Africa, so at least they might be put to good use.. (by Posties?)

[james01]

I believe that the now redundant bikes are being shipped to Africa, so at least they might be put to good use.. (by Posties?)

This may sound a bit mercenary but does anyone know if some of the bikes are being auctioned off cheaply here in the UK? I quite fancy one as a local load-carrier.

[niggle]

Spotted several posties using bikes in Mullion, Cornwall, recently, then when I went to the Post Office I saw four outside:

[Ray]

Surely there's a case for using electric-assist bikes for postal deliveries, particularly where distance or hills might be a factor?

Ray

[Drake]

I'm prompted by a thread in the WANTED board to wonder if anybody knows what is happening to the redundant bikes

It's been suggested before that there has been no legitimate route for a Royal Mail bike to be acquired privately, but it's hard to imagine they will scrap the lot rather than try to sell them as complete bikes.

I must admit that i hadn't thought of this,but you do have a valid point .
Correct me if i'm wrong,but isn't the PO still owned by the tax payer . If that is the case,then these redundent machines should be offered to the public .
I wouldn't have thought that arranging an auction by county would be to difficult .
I'd buy one just for the curiosity value .

[Mark1978]

Those risks are probably quite low on a postman's walked round, to be fair

I couldn't have picked a worse job, could I. Posties are always going to be pretty fit.

As regards other firms, I'm not aware of anyone else who does routinely use bikes.

Another good point. I can't think of many either. They are still used by a few people on airfields, military bases, and large industrial plants to get around. And perhaps people doing a large number of house calls in a day, like Home Helps or whatever they are called these days.

Workers at the Large Hadron Collider!