Roadside Letter Boxes

7 January 2003

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) currently has a paper (ODTR 02/95)* out for public consultation which covers roadside letter boxes among other postal related issues. An Post intends to submit its proposals for the extension of roadside letter boxes as a response to this paper.

Roadside letter boxes are common throughout the developed world and already in Ireland there are 80,000 such delivery boxes in use. Research conducted on behalf of An Post among households who have delivery boxes, has revealed high levels of satisfaction with the delivery service provided.

Faced with an adverse financial position An Post has focused considerable managerial effort at ensuring maximum efficiency in all its operations. The rationale behind the extension of roadside letter boxes is to maximise efficiency and reduce delivery costs. This in turn would help ensure that An Post can continue to provide its current five day a week delivery service to every address in the country and maintain a standard postage rate nationwide.

An Post projects that the introduction of delivery boxes will result in savings of €20 million per annum and will facilitate other cost saving initiatives which have further potential savings of €15 million per annum.

Current media coverage of An Post’s proposals for delivery boxes arises from an entry in the current edition of the Journal of European Communities (OJEC). An Post would like to confirm that its entry in OJEC merely solicits potential suppliers to express interest in supplying An Post with delivery boxes that meet European standards for security and quality. Tenders have not and will not be sought until ComReg has issued a response to its consultation paper ODTR 02/95.

* The paper ODTR 02/95 can be accessed by visiting the ComReg website on www.comreg.ie