Do TNT deliver the mail?

[green_and_mean]

I wonder if anyone can help with something that has been bugging me (sad I know!)?

My local Council allows Royal Mail vehicles to park anywhere, and they do just that, bus stops, zig zags you name it they park there. I emailed the Parking Dept to ask why this was allowed and was told Royal Mail vehicles are exempt from all restrictions but failed to explain why. I asked a local PA who said it was because the post was 'Royal' and it was an offence to hinder the Queens mail! :o What puzzles me is that since RM lost its monopoly in 2006 anyone can deliver the mail. Surely its then unfair for companies such as TNT and UPS to pay thousands of £s in fines for parking whilst RM can get away scot free isn't that unfair competition and would the companies in question have a case to take the Council to task over their policy?

[BADGER 69]

Their claim looks ridiculous to me. Do they suggest that other drivers can "See through" a Royal Mail van and see a child about to run onto the road . Sounds like a good reason for making a public complaint to your MP and copy to the Minister of Transport. Then wait for the muck to hit the fan when a child gets killed in just such a scenario

[barracad]

What puzzles me is that since RM lost its monopoly in 2006 anyone can deliver the mail. Surely its then unfair for companies such as TNT and UPS to pay thousands of £s in fines for parking whilst RM can get away scot free isn't that unfair competition and would the companies in question have a case to take the Council to task over their policy?

 

No.

 

Whilst other companies can obtain licences to deliver mail, only Royal Mail has a condition forced upon them as part of their licence called the Universal Service Obligation. This means that, by law, they must deliver to every UK address on a daily basis.

 

The USO forms part of the Postal Services Act 2000. This piece of legislation also covers things like the exemptions from certain parking restrictions etc.

 

If someday things changed and TNT or some other company had the USO as part of their licence then they would have these exemptions instead of Royal Mail.

[pin1onu]

No.

only Royal Mail has a condition forced upon them as part of their licence called the Universal Service Obligation.

Universal Service Obligation - Is that a euphemism for shafting everyone in the country with crap service and loads of lost mail.

 

Sound like an exercise in Orwellian doublespeak to me.

[Courierman]

I asked a local PA who said it was because the post was 'Royal' and it was an offence to hinder the Queens mail! :o

 

This is my first post on the forum so hi to all, but to partly answer your question, when I worked (briefly) for RM, I was told it was because the vehicles are on behalf of the queen and have the Royal crest on them.

[green_and_mean]

This is my first post on the forum so hi to all, but to partly answer your question, when I worked (briefly) for RM, I was told it was because the vehicles are on behalf of the queen and have the Royal crest on them.

 

 

You forget the Queen is german and HER post is carried by Deutsche Post (DHL)!