Royal Mail are apparently already trialling a reduced delivery service for 2nd class letter post

[thebootlocker]

This was copied from the Royal Mail website. Ebay consequently need to amend the estimated delivery dates for such post!

Following their Call for Input in 2024, Ofcom launched a consultation with stakeholders on the future of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) in January 2025, with a specific focus on Royal Mail’s proposal for change. Ofcom is expected to publish its decision in Summer 2025.

To ensure everything runs smoothly and we can deliver a better customer experience if we deploy any Universal Service changes, we will be piloting our proposals in 37 of our c.1,200 delivery offices across the UK from February.

• We aim to continue delivering 2nd Class within 3 days, from Monday to Friday, within the pilot areas.
• Standard bulk business letters will be delivered within 3 days.
• We will no longer deliver non 1st Class letters and other non priority business letters on Saturdays.

Nothing else will change. We'll continue to deliver 1st Class mail six days week and parcels up to seven days a week.

We'll keep delivering letters and parcels as you are used to, throughout the rest of the UK.

[parsley2003]

39 Pilot areas including London it will happen all over because a Czech millionaire has just RM and this is probably one of his conditions

[troopster2525-per]

Yeh it was one of the conditions i read it in the news just before Christmas also royal mails conditions were if he took over that its a 1 price for anywhere in the UK and stupidly.....no sacking people till 2025....which is now haha so job losses on the way i think

[insidethe93]

In 1997 the government (Dept. of Transport) announced proposals to add more lanes to the M25 between junctions 12 and 15. There was much opposition e.g. from environmental groups, and calls for a public enquiry as usually occurred for similar proposals. Apparently (but probably just rumours)  someone said, paraphrasing, "you can have your public enquiry but in the meantime we're building it in case we get the go-ahead" which outraged public opinion as it'd effectively be a fait accompli, but the government then gave the go-ahead, and calls for a public enquiry vanished as it would've been pointless. The new RM boss might decide he can do whatever he likes and trial it, because when the time comes the government would have no choice but to back him.

[carrotdrusus2]

They have been trialling a reduced delivery service in my neck of the woods for about 15 years.

[*devils.advocate*]

The letter side of the business (the non-parcel side) has been losing money for decades.

If anyone does nothing to change it, it’ll continue to lose money.

If you were the new owner, would you want to continue to lose money - or change things?