LOCAL MP SAYS ROYAL MAIL ZONAL SURCHARGES WILL MEAN SECOND CLASS SERVICE

Tony Baldry fights against plans to make it more expensive to mail rural areas.

North Oxfordshire MP, Tony Baldry, has signed a parliamentary motion aimed at stopping Royal Mail from introducing zonal surcharges making customers pay higher prices to send mail to rural areas – a plan that would put rural post offices in even greater jeopardy.

According to Royal Mail, “low density” rural areas, which could include some parts of North Oxfordshire, would receive the surcharge, estimated at 4.8% on bulk mail sent by businesses.

The Government has already announced that 3,000 post offices must close – a move which will disproportionately hit rural areas because Post Offices are protected in high depravation, inner city areas – and zonal pricing could mean rural post offices would receive even less financial support. 

Tony Baldry, who presented a petition to Downing Street signed by 20,000 Oxfordshire residents to protect small Post Offices, is a co-signatory of an Early Day Motion asking Postcomm to investigate the proposal of zonal charging.

 Tony Baldry MP said:

“This measure will mean a second class service for rural residents.  Small businesses are being let down by Royal Mail.  Postal strikes are hurting small businesses most, the threat to sub-Post Offices will hurt small businesses, and additional charges for businesses post sent in rural areas will adversely hit small businesses.”

“Zonal price charging will do nothing to reduce overall costs for the Royal Mail and consumers – it will be invested into postal services in urban areas.  This simply means more rural areas like North Oxfordshire get hurt twice – and undermines further the viability of sub-Post Offices in Oxfordshire.  Postcomm must now consider vetoing these proposals to help protect our local post offices. “