Royal Mail confirms they're ditching post bikes

[Ganymede]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/dec/09/royal-mail-post-bikes

Phasing them out. Even though competitors use them.

 

[Col5632]

I've never ever seen a post bike

 

[Sara_H]

I've never ever seen a post bike

Loads in Nottingham, my OH's family live there, I see loads when we're out that way.

I'd like one if they're going to be sold off.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've noticed those golf buggy-type things taking over from the posties on bikes where my daughter lives. According to RoyMayall (http://roymayall.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/madness-in-the-methods/) they're slower and harder work. Still that's making things harder and slower is progress....apparently

Meanwhile, I got a close up look at a TNT bike today. I was surprised that it was only 3-speed but at least it was on the streets. TNT looking for 20,000 posties over the next 5 years apparently.

 

[Linford]

Loads in Nottingham, my OH's family live their, I see loads when we're out that way.

I'd like one if they're going to be sold off.

Every cloud and all that

 

[Ganymede]

The French have brilliant electric bikes, big and heavy but well-designed. Also probably pretty un-nickable as they are unmistakeable and you'd never be able to ride a stolen one around without it being recognised.

I feel sad for the Post Office - they're just another company now. I've had several chums who were posties and it's very bad the way it's been run down. Also, living in a rural area, I worry about our own deliveries - we get quite a lot of post and it's already taking ages to get to us.

 

[ASC1951]

I feel sad for the Post Office .....it's very bad the way it's been run down.

Hardly anyone sends letters any more - it's all done online. But the flipside is that all the stuff we buy online has to be posted and that part of the business has been expanding, not run down.

 

[jayonabike]

They've been fazed out because the way the mail is changing, less letters being sent, but more packets and parcels thanks to internet shopping. It's now van sharing, 2 posties who's rounds are next to each other share a van which takes all the mail. More secure than leaving it on the front of a bike, and the larger volume of mail isn't a problem. In our office they got rid of the bikes about 2 years ago.

 

[Ganymede]

There's an ex-postie in the comments thread on the Graun site going on about how much better it will be without bikes, ie that the van/trolleys combo is much better.

 

[numbnuts]

Since my postman ditched his bike and now has a van the mail comes 2 hours later, I’m not too sure why that is.

 

[Ganymede]

Since my postman ditched his bike and now has a van the mail comes 2 hours later, I’m not too sure why that is.

Depressing, isn't it. I miss getting mail first thing. No use having a first-class next-day service if it arrives after you've left the house and won't see a letter until it's too late in the day to act upon it. Sigh.

 

[Archie_tect]

They've got rid of the bikes here too.... now the posties push oversized, heavy and unwieldly granny trolleys round so:
their speed has dropped to a fraction of their previous delivery rates,
they walk everywhere [12/15 miles a day some of them], no freewheeling downhill,
they can't scoot...
they've stopped whistling as they go and,
the service has deteriorated.... privatisation eh?.... brilliant move.

Well done HMG, another blindingly huge + stupid step backwards despite retaining 40%... at least they're continuing to maintain my prejudice.

 

[Davidc]

Sad, but it's up to those who run Royal Mail. Might go the other way in the future.

Good utility bikes for round town transport if they're sold off.

 

[Archie_tect]

Sad, but it's up to those who run Royal Mail. Might go the other way in the future.

Good utility bikes for round town transport if they're sold off.

Wonder who got the lovely electric ones.....

 

[Hill Wimp]

I was a postie for a short time to fill in before my career started. I loved it,kept me fit. You had to be back in the office by 12.30 at the latest after delivering the first class post.

My first class post now does not arrive until 2pm, how does that work then ?