Royal mail failing to meet targets says Ofcom
The Office of Communications (Ofcom), has warned recently-privatised Royal Mail that it must meet its delivery requirements if it is to avoid fines. Royal Mail failed to achieve its requirement of 93 per cent delivery of first class letters the day after the they are posted, instead reaching 91.7 per cent. The figures were revealed in Ofcom's annual monitoring update on the UK postal sector, which cover the year to the end of March 2013.
The postal service also failed to reach the target of 91.5 per cent of next-day delivery for first class post in close to all of the UK's geographic postcode areas, achieving only 62 per cent.
Ofcom said on Friday:
Ofcom is concerned about Royal Mail's failure to meet certain service targets, and has made clear to the company that it must take all necessary steps to meet these in future.
Should it miss the targets in future, Ofcom will consider opening a formal investigation which could result in enforcement action, including the possibility of fines.
Royal Mail did, however, meet its target delivery rate of 98.5 per cent of second class letters within three days of collection. Ofcom did provide some cause for optimism, pointing out that since Royal Mail's flotation on the stock market, the company is now on a "stronger financial footing."