Postmen in Brighton and Hove struggling with new routes

POSTAL workers are struggling with cost-cutting changes to Royal Mail delivery routes, according to frustrated postmen and customers.

Furious residents in Brighton and Hove say they have waited more than two weeks for packages to be delivered from the North Road sorting office since phased changes began last month.

City postmen have been venting their anger online.

One postman complained: “Brighton has one quarter of the delivery office working the new revisions. It’s not been working at all.”

Another whistleblower on the site listed the North Road centre as one of a number of sorting offices “failing to adapt” to changes.

In February the Royal Mail announced routes would be revised with some deliveries pushed back as late as 3pm and mailbags replaced with trolleys.

Derek Oram, of Brighton, said: “I wait all morning for my post and a lot of the time it doesn’t arrive. I’m still waiting for a package posted over a week ago.

“My postman told me the sorting office is in chaos since the changes have been brought in.”

Angry Brighton resident Barry Smith said he had been waiting for a parcel for two weeks.

He said: “I have practically lived in the North Road delivery office over the last few weeks and it’s so frustrating.

“I spoke to a postman and he said the problem is the new routes have been worked out by computer. He said many are going back to the office with mail because they can’t get round in time.

“They need to get to grips with this soon.”

Mr Smith received an apology for the disruption at the North Road sorting office from Royal Mail.

Hove MP Mike Weatherley said: “It is quite clear that more planning should have gone into getting arrangements in place for extra staff during the transition.

“Whilst I am not impressed so far, I have every faith that the end result will be an improvement.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman yesterday denied there had been any “significant delays” to post in Brighton.

She said: “These changes will require a period of adjustment for staff as the changes bed in.”

Comments(13)

Agnes Nutter Mayan Mystic says...
5:29pm Sun 18 Mar 12

As a mystic, I am often in the position of knowing what is in the mail before it has even been sent to me. Usually an urgent delivery of healing crystals.

Have some of these "furious Brighton residents" been posting themselves their own poo again? I do hope not...getting all excited about nothing whilst, for example, their NHS disappears.

caeos says...
7:30pm Sun 18 Mar 12

"Another whistleblower on the site" what site? please quote facts

lisafrancis123 says...
8:24pm Sun 18 Mar 12

my post turned up at 5pm the other day, i opened the door and asked the postman if he was having a laugh. i was waiting for an important letter!

chrisinbrighton says...
9:44pm Sun 18 Mar 12

I blame the tories myself it's the next thing to be privatised after NHS
stupid people who voted them in got em selfs to blame or forgotten the 80's or too young too remember
the phoes the council houses i could list a few more

mtmoocher says...
9:48pm Sun 18 Mar 12

"A Royal Mail spokeswoman yesterday denied there had been any “significant delays” to post in Brighton."
.
Well they clearly don't know what is going on & should be removed immediately. When the one delivery strategy was foisted upon the customers (& delivery staff), we were promised a quicker, cheaper, more efficient service. What actually happened was they got rid of the first delivery & none of their promises or forecasts have been delivered. Time to revert to the old 2 delivery system?

john5001 says...
9:59pm Sun 18 Mar 12

chrisinbrighton wrote:
I blame the tories myself it's the next thing to be privatised after NHS
stupid people who voted them in got em selfs to blame or forgotten the 80's or too young too remember
the phoes the council houses i could list a few more
and don't for the water ,gas, electric,trains,the banks, all sold to foreign countries by the tories, they can charge what they like and there's nothing we can do about it

JustRuss says...
10:52pm Sun 18 Mar 12

I contacted Royal Mail last week due to our mail being delivered very late into the afternoon.

I was told that they are under no obligation to deliver it at a set time but do try to get it to us as early as possible.

We've gone from getting it say 9am to 5pm. It's not good enough.

Brightonlad says...
11:27pm Sun 18 Mar 12

Be more unreliable, then i dont have to pour over a sacfull of junk mail!!!!

neilm says...
6:13pm Mon 19 Mar 12

These changes happened in Eastbourne about 9 months ago.
Total chaos, they give all the postmen an extra 30% of letters to deliver with a larger walk and then give them a van to deliver the parcels for that walk AS WELL that used to be delivered by a separate person who delivered only parcels, this person has been got rid of for savings.
reduced the workforce by 10% and expect the rest to take the extra
They have a computer that supposedly times the rounds but doesnt take into account that some rounds have a high packet and parcel rate, they dont take into account dragging a trolley up steps , in flats across gravel .
As for the PDA give it 6 months and it freezes and has a mind of its own.
Its a right cockup by Royal Mail and its the poor postman as usual that gets the flack from the disgruntled customer.

little boo says...
8:48am Tue 20 Mar 12

For the most part, postal deliveries in Btn/Hove are very good and consistent But it is a fact that too many changes at sorting offices are not thought out before hand. Get these 'new idea' freaks to deliver the letters themselves so they can see the problems first hand. Don't think that will happen though.

little boo says...
8:51am Tue 20 Mar 12

For the most part, postal deliveries in Btn/Hove are very good and consistent But it is a fact that too many changes at sorting offices are not thought out before hand. Get these 'new idea' freaks to deliver the letters themselves so they can see the problems first hand. Don't think that will happen though.

Gillian121 says...
2:10pm Tue 20 Mar 12

I have a big problem with my mail like it gets stolen or damaged when some does arrives, royal mail dont care, at least the police think its a crime so i reported it, but it wont stop it happening

Hove Actually says...
5:22pm Tue 20 Mar 12

I get my post every day, why care when, and if you do get a life as in Spain, Holland, Germany, France etc they would love our Postal Service

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