ROYAL Mail have been blasted by the MP for ‘badly letting down’ the Yate community this Christmas.
NHS appointment letters, Christmas cards and presents are just some of the items which have not been delivered on time in the build-up to the festive period, prompting the MP to blast the service, adding that it has been a ‘particular issue’ in Yate.
This follows the news that Royal Mail were fined £10.5 million last Friday, December 13 by Ofcom for missing its first and second-class postal delivery targets in 2023-24.
Royal Mail is also set to be taken over by billionaire Daniel Kretinsky with Ms Young calling for the new owner to ‘actually deliver’.
She said: “For far too long, despite the incredible work of our local postal workers, people across our area have been badly let down by Royal Mail.
“This is a particular issue in Yate, where some residents have received letters long past their sell by date.
“It’s extremely disappointing that Royal Mail has once again been found in breach of its delivery targets.
“This impacts everyone, from NHS patients waiting for appointment letters to families sending Christmas cards and presents.
“It’s even more concerning that this iconic British institution may not remain based in the UK, and that the watering down of services is still on the table – despite the huge role it plays in our daily lives.
“Royal Mail’s incoming owner and management must work night and day to turn things around for rural communities like ours, so that people get the service they deserve and they actually get their post in a timely manner.
“Ministers and Royal Mail executives must focus on ensuring they actually deliver and don’t just offer more warm words and empty promises.”
The incoming new owner has promised to keep the institution’s HQ in the UK for five years, prompting concerns that he may not honour that commitment after five years.
The takeover is expected to go through in early 2025.
As part of the agreements, EP Group said it will also ensure that Royal Mail will not change its corporate structure.
Under its service obligations, Royal Mail must deliver letters six days a week to all 32 million addresses in the UK for the price of a stamp.
But Royal Mail has repeatedly called for an overhaul of the service, claiming it is not financially viable.
Regulator Ofcom has been reviewing the future of the universal service since January.
It is proposing plans to ditch Saturday deliveries for second-class letters while keeping first-class mail six days a week.
On Friday, Royal Mail was fined £10.5 million by Ofcom for missing its first and second-class postal delivery targets in 2023-24.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Across Royal Mail, everyone is working incredibly hard to ensure everyone’s presents and cards arrive in time for Christmas, and we plan to build on last year’s success where we delivered 99 per cent of items before Christmas day.
“This is the case for our delivery office in Yate.
“Christmas is our busiest time of the year, we prepare for it all year round and have contingency plans in place to identify any delays, manage the issue and make our deliveries.”