Councillors slam Royal Mail delivery office “rubbish” new opening hours

Two Dundee councillors have slammed new and much poorer opening hours for Dundee’s three Royal Mail delivery offices. These are now slashed to just two hours a day weekdays, four hours on Saturday morning and no Sunday opening at all.

The changes, which took effect from 10th July, seriously cut the hours the three Dundee delivery offices are available for the public to collect letters and parcels.    Details of the old and new times are attached.

Broughty Ferry Councillor Craig Duncan said:

“Residents in my Broughty Ferry ward area use the Dundee East Royal Mail delivery office in Ivory Place and I have been inundated with complaints about the really rather rubbish new opening hours. It will cause significant problems for residents who need to pick up a parcel in person after choosing the local collect option of deliver, following a failed home delivery or incorrectly paid postage.”

“Another negative impact of reduced opening times is likely to be for businesses who rely on delivery offices to inject their ecommerce sales into the postal network.”

“In the financial year 2022, Royal Mail posted an adjusted operating profit of £758 million, so there is absolutely no excuse for the slashing of opening hours at delivery offices.  On behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group on Dundee City Council, I have written to Royal Mail calling for a rethink and a reversal of these cuts to opening hours.”

Councillor Duncan’s Liberal Democrat group colleague West End councillor Michael Crichton added:

 “In the West End, the area is split between the Dundee Central and Dundee West delivery offices – both have seen the same slashing of opening hours. It is simply unacceptable.”

Councillor Crichton said that it was part of a general decline in customer service by many organisations. He also pointed out that the Dundee Liberal Democrat councillors had also received many concerns about the ending of “drop-in” appointments at the City Council.

Councillor Crichton concluded:

“This latest reduction in customer service by Royal Mail is deeply regrettable.  Being open just two hours on weekdays, four on Saturday and not at all on Sunday really makes it hard for local people to make use of the delivery offices.”