Minister Naughten commends An Post ECO plan and growth in mails 'online' business
1 January 0001
- 18 million parcels and packets handled to date.
- Ecommerce parcel traffic up 40%
- Electric vehicles to replace urban fleet
- Zero carbon emissions in Dublin city centre (between the canals) by end of 2019
- 40% growth expected in Christmas parcel traffic
In the first phase of An Post’s Eco Plan, a new fleet of electric post vans and delivery tricycles will deliver zero carbon emissions in Dublin’s City Centre, between the Grand Canal on the city’s south side and the Royal canal on the north side by the end of next year.
An Post Eco also pledges zero emission deliveries in other cities including Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Waterford by end-2020, and the provision of public electric vehicle charging points at An Post sites.
Today (Wednesday) the Minister for Communications, Climate Change and Environment Denis Naughten TD visited An Post’s Ravensdale (Dublin city centre) delivery service unit which is at the cutting edge of the transformation of the company’s mails business and its drive towards a carbon free future.
Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels says: “Staff are using the latest electric vans and tricycles for delivering to customers at all 40,000 private and business addresses between Dublin’s canals. We are investing €250,000 and saving 100 tonnes of CO2 in this initial phase of our pledge”
And as the company gears up for its busiest time of the year Bridgeman forecasts a doubling of its regular parcel traffic over the Christmas period up 40% on last year’s Christmas peak.
During his visit to Ravensdale Minister Denis Naughten stated: ‘’An Post’s ECO Plan will make a real contribution to protecting our environment and delivering a zero emissions future. I enjoyed visiting the Ravensdale unit today to meet the staff and see first-hand An Post’s new fleet of electric post vans and delivery tricycles. The plan to expand zero emission deliveries in cities outside Dublin by the end of 2020 and a total elimination of carbon emissions from all its letter and parcels operations within 10 years across the country is hugely significant. Reducing the carbon footprint in transport is one of Ireland’s most pressing challenges and An Post’s ECO plan will positively contribute, in a practical way, in dealing with this urgent challenge.
‘’The growth of An Post’s parcel business is also hugely impressive with 18 million packets and parcels processed so far this year. Equally impressive is An Post’s expansion of its service from a 5 day week parcel delivery to a 6 day week and evening delivery service.’’
