Condition DUSP 1.8.3

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Anabel Jones
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1 Condition DUSP Royal Mail statement on the arrangements for users of postal services whose premises are not within 10 kilometres of an access point capable of receiving postal packets 1 up to 20 kilograms and registered mail. 1 See DUSP for limitations. Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.

2 Introduction Royal Mail is required by its regulator Ofcom to provide sufficient points of access to its postal network for customers wishing to post the largest sized Universal Service postal packet 2 or a registered mail item, such as a Special Delivery or Royal Mail Signed For item. Royal Mail uses the Post Office Ltd as the means of providing this access. Under regulatory condition DUSP (c) (i), Royal Mail is required to ensure that 95% of users of postal services are within 5km of an access point where they are able to send the largest sized Universal Service postal packet of no more than 20kg 3 and registered mail. Royal Mail is also required under DUSP (c) (ii) to ensure that in each UK postcode area, the premises of 95% of postal users in that postcode area are within 10km of such an access point. For the small number of users that are not within 10km of such an access point Royal Mail is required by DUSP to establish, maintain, and review annually a statement of arrangements to ensure that those users will be provided with reasonable access to postal facilities. Statement of arrangements Royal Mail s access arrangements are designed to ensure that customers of postal services can post the largest postal packets 4 and use the registered services on a daily basis and that a daily collection of items is made by Royal Mail. For all mail items, the daily collection service is offered Monday to Saturday. The last available posting times are shown at the individual Post Offices and customers should be aware that the Saturday collection will usually be earlier than the weekday collection. Some Post Office branches may also close at lunchtime on weekdays. Post Offices are generally located in urban and main rural population centres. The latest posting times will vary by location and are determined by the time needed to transport the items to an appropriate postal handling centre for sortation that day and in time for onward transmission to their delivery destination. The Post Office network continues to provide Royal Mail with sufficient access to meet its regulatory accessibility criteria. In April 2017, 99.7% of customers were within 5km of a Post Office branch. The majority of customers who have to travel more than 5kms to a Post Office to post a large postal packet and/or registered mail item are largely those living in rural areas. In this type of location, additional Post Office facilities may be available from outreach services such as mobile Post Offices, although not on a daily basis. There are three additional ways in which remote customers can access Royal Mail s network. It should be noted that items containing 2 See DUSP for limitations. 3 DUSP See DUSP for limitations. Royal Mail Group Ltd Page 2 of 5

3 Restricted Goods 5 cannot be accepted as part of the arrangements below and must be taken and correctly declared at a Post Office Branch. Customers can access Royal Mail s network in the following ways (subject to operational viability). Delivery Offices will accept mail bearing the appropriate postage directly from customers at Enquiry Offices and Customer Service Point Counters. These access points will also accept parcels bearing stamped postage up to 61cm x 46cm x 46cm in size and no heavier than 20kg providing they do not contain Restricted Goods or are for delivery to an international address. The latest acceptance times for posting items vary from office to office and will be shown at each Enquiry Office or Customer Service Point counter. Royal Mail offers a paid-for contractual collection service for all mail products which is available for one-off or regular daily collection six days a week. Customers can also choose a specific collection time for a higher charge. 6 Royal Mail also provides access to the universal service for social customers (non business customers) in rural areas who are not within close proximity of a post box, Post Office Branch or Delivery Office and for those customers who are deemed to be vulnerable. (DUSP covers arrangements for users of postal services who are blind, partially sighted, disabled, infirm through age or chronically sick.) Where Royal Mail delivers to remote rural premises by van, social customers are able to hand items which carry the appropriate postage can be handed to the postman or postwoman for onward transmission through our network. Unfortunately these additional arrangements are not suitable for accepting registered mail items. Summary Royal Mail has a high level of access for its customers through the Post Office network. Its alternative arrangements provide a reasonable and cost effective means of access for customers who are not within 5 km of a Post Office branch. The balance Royal Mail has to strike in these circumstances is one of reasonableness. Royal Mail provides services around 30 million addresses in the UK. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to be in close proximity to every address in the UK, particularly in remote areas. Royal Mail sympathises with customers who have to travel more than 10kms to post larger postal items or registered mail items. We trust that such customers will have developed ways of overcoming the distance problems of rural living. Where reasonable and appropriate, Royal Mail continues to provide alternative arrangements to help these customers access postal services. August Further information on Restricted Goods can be found on our website: 6 These services cannot be provided for those locations where, in accordance with the exceptions process agreed with Ofcom, Royal Mail is unable to provide the Universal Service. Royal Mail Group Ltd Page 3 of 5

4 Royal Mail Group Ltd Page 4 of 5

5 Useful links Information on branch locations and opening times is available on the Post Office Limited website at Information on outreach services is available on the Post Office Limited website at Information on contractual collection services is available on the Royal Mail website at Royal Mail Group Ltd Page 5 of 5

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