Help save Royal Mail bicycles

[Pedalspinner]

As you may know, the Royal Mail is planning to get rid of most of its delivery bicycles. I have set up a petition to try to show Royal Mail management the strength of feeling in favour of post by bike. The Communication Workers Union, the CTC and Sustrans have already been campaigning to stop this change. If you agree with me, it would be great if some of you could add your voices.

http://deliverbybike.blogspot.com/

Pedalspinner

 

[dodgy]

Are they getting rid of the bikes because it's not the cheapest method? If so, you've got almost no chance of stopping from happening. The bottom line is cost, shame.

 

[Will1985]

Spare a thought for Pashley - RM is the biggest customer.

 

[Bodhbh]

Hrmm this mean they'll be a load of cheap, ex-RM utility bikes flooding the market? Is is going to be difficult to be impartial on this one, they look perfect for the shopping run.

(I agree it is a shame to see them go however).

 

[Hilldodger]

They're not supposed to sell them on in the UK.

 

[ChrisKH]

And what's the alternative?

In my area there has been a proliferation of delivery buggies which, at the end of the day, are then locked to public railings, road signs, telegraph poles, etc. I can cycle round a mile radius from my home and find seven of them without trying. So posties are picking up the mail in their own cars, driving to the general area of delivery (which are 1-3 miles away from the main sorting office) unloading the cars into these buggies and then delivering on foot. Not exactly a green and sustainable system IMO. I'm not in favour of the Post Office just parking their buggies wherever they like at the end of the day either. Give me a bike delivered mail service please.

 

[ChrisKH]

Plus, from a terrorists viewpoint, if I wanted to plant or send a bomb all I need do is put a suitably addressed bomb on a timer into one of these delivery buggies and Bob's no longer your uncle.

 

[Crackle]

And what's the alternative?

In my area there has been a proliferation of delivery buggies which, at the end of the day, are then locked to public railings, road signs, telegraph poles, etc. I can cycle round a mile radius from my home and find seven of them without trying. So posties are picking up the mail in their own cars, driving to the general area of delivery (which are 1-3 miles away from the main sorting office) unloading the cars into these buggies and then delivering on foot. Not exactly a green and sustainable system IMO. I'm not in favour of the Post Office just parking their buggies wherever they like at the end of the day either. Give me a bike delivered mail service please.

They do that with the bikes too. Have seen many of them lined up out of sight ready to go, I guess the buggies are harder to hide.

 

[MacB]

Are they getting rid of the bikes because it's not the cheapest method? If so, you've got almost no chance of stopping from happening. The bottom line is cost, shame.

Very true, but you can always argue about what they consider when working out the cost analysis. Though they used to be totally ignored as factors some green/health/perception factors are being brought in. For example we know that there would be a general health benefit for someone spending atime on a bike as opposed to sitting in a van. Then there is the reduction in traffic flow, pollution and the fact that lots of people like seeing posties on bikes. Though grren/health are perhaps newer factors the perception one has been around a long time. There's no shortage of companies that have made a decision on cost alone without factoring in how that decision will be viewed by others.

 

[bikepete]

FWIW currently old post bikes are donated by RM to the Re-Cycle charity who ship them overseas to developing countries.

 

[Chuffy]

There will be a huge number of posties who will just use their own cars to get out on delivery. Phasing out the bikes is bloody stupid, although they aren't used everywhere. Some city depots have an arrangement with the local bus provider and posties can just hop on any bus to get to/from their rounds.

What it comes down to is an attempt by RM management to control posties. Individuals with independent transport are notorious for sloping off and doing their own thing when RM wants them working at 100% efficiency 100% of the time...

 

[tyred]

I don't believe I have ever seen a cycle mounted postman.

 

[GrahamG]

I don't believe I have ever seen a cycle mounted postman.

I didn't even know they existed until I lived in York for a year. Never saw any in Birmingham (have since seen one or two in Solihull), but there are quite a few in Bristol.

Crazy idea to get rid of them IMO.

 

[Arch]

I don't believe I have ever seen a cycle mounted postman.

Whereas last week, I saw 6 of them riding off in convoy to their routes....

 

[rog 1974]

And what's the alternative?

So posties are picking up the mail in their own cars, driving to the general area of delivery (which are 1-3 miles away from the main sorting office) unloading the cars into these buggies and then delivering on foot.exactly



Surly this invalidates their own car insurance.