CWU Supports Royal Mail Cycle Change

In response to a leisure cycling organisation - the Cycle Touring Club (CTC) - protest this morning (Wednesday) against removal of Royal Mail cycles on delivery, CWU explains and supports the changes.

The decision to scale back the use of cycles on delivery was taken two years ago as part of ongoing efforts to modernise deliveries, respond to the changing profile of mail which is increasingly made up of bulky parcels from internet shopping, and improve health and safety. Over the past 15 years, 13 cycle delivery postmen and women have been killed at work and thousands more injured as the result of road traffic accidents.

CWU spokesperson, said: "Cycles are one small part of a major modernisation programme in Royal Mail, and while we respect the CTC as an issue-based membership organisation, they are misrepresenting the facts on this matter.

"This isn't leisure cycling, it's cycling for work, and considerations are very different when people cycle as part of their job. Postal workers can't pick and choose where they go on their cycle like leisure cyclists or people commuting and changes in road and traffic conditions have made cycles no longer suitable on many routes. For every postman and woman that loves their cycle there's one that hates them.

"We fully support the changes for improved efficiency, safety and environmental performance. What most people don't know is that thousands of postal workers every week use their own private cars on delivery. This not only raises problems of insurance and safety but is an invisible major contributor of emissions. The new vehicles being brought in have high environmental performance, will eliminate the use of private vehicles and will be fully audited in Royal Mail's carbon footprint.

"Most important is the modernisation of the industry. Today's protest by CTC used ancient cycles and old postal uniforms. We're fighting for a modern Royal Mail. You have to let go of some of the sentimentality surrounding traditional views of an industry spanning hundreds of years if you want it to have a successful future."

Royal Mail is not eliminating cycles altogether and a fleet of around 1,000 will remain. Those cycles will be more carefully matched to the delivery rounds they are used on and CWU is helping to identify appropriate routes.

Additional information on the move away from cycles:

• There is a limited load carrying capacity with cycles and it's common for overloading to occur, affecting cycle stability. This also limits the effectiveness of this form of transport for mail as packet and parcel traffic increases.
• Poor compliance, particularly in hot weather with postal workers not wearing their cycle helmets and high visibility jackets is a problem.
• Jointly Royal Mail and the CWU are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our delivery, collection and trunking fleets through new technology and environmentally friendly vehicles, procuring the most environmentally advanced vehicles with green technology, offering improved fuel efficiency, better tyres and lower CO2 emissions. Royal Mail is continuing to trial and develop environmentally friendly vehicles which are our future e.g. alternative fuel, hybrid or electric powered vehicles.
• As part of the reduction in cycle numbers, we will see the elimination of nearly 30,000 private cars used on delivery daily.

Source: CWU

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services