Postcomm frees Royal Mail's competitors to provide unrestricted postal services
31 October 2003
Licensed postal operators other than Royal Mail will be able to carry any mail they wish from today, following a determination by Postcomm. The determination is in response to escalating unofficial strike action in London and some surrounding areas.
The determination will enable four long-term licence holders to provide unrestricted mail services to any customer and one interim licence holder to provide a wider range of services to existing customers.
Under normal circumstances, competitors of Royal Mail are limited by their licences to providing relatively large bulk mail services for business customers. Today’s determination removes these restrictions for a period.
Notes for editors.
Holders of long-term licences are Hays Commercial Services Ltd, TPG Post (UK) Ltd, UK Mail Ltd and Express Ltd. The interim licence holder concerned is TNT UK Ltd. The lifting of the restrictions enables these companies to provide a wider range of services but there is no requirement on them to do so.
The determination will remain in force until Postcomm is satisfied that unofficial action has ended and that a satisfactory programme has been put in place by Royal Mail for dealing with the backlog of mail. Postcomm is seeking views on the criteria it should take into account in deciding when to revoke the determination.
Competitors will be able to provide services for a minimum of 14 days. If the determination remains in place for 5 days or more, they can provide services for three times the length of the time the determination is in force, or 92 days after the determination is revoked, whichever is shorter.
A copy of the determination can be found on the individual licensed operators consultation page.
