Post delivery row sparks Highland MP's call for step plan to tackle Royal Mail woes
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'Explicit assurances' and a detailed plan of action are being demanded by a Highland MP in a row over mail delivery woes in the region.
Drew Hendry has hit out at broken promises by Royal Mail bosses in the wake of growing concerns over significantly delayed post in the Highlands.
In recent weeks Mr Hendry, who represents Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, has highlighted situations where constituents missed hospital appointments because the letter informing them of their date failed to land until after the slot had already passed.
He has also flagged up examples where people waiting on new bank cards were left without one for weeks because of delayed delivery.
The problems sparked his decision to launch a survey of his constituents to gauge the scale of the problem.
Related: Royal Mail postal deliveries in Highlands at 'breaking point', Communication Workers' Union warns
And, the survey – which is still running and can be found here – raised so many other examples that he warned the issues were proving "all too common".
Union members in the Highlands have also raised alarms that the network is close to "breaking point", with overworked staff leaving and the company failing to replace them.
In the wake, Mr Hendry has now written a letter to Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson urging the company to take a number of vital steps to ease the crisis before the busy Christmas period makes things even worse.
"I am seeking explicit assurances and a detailed plan outlining the provisions and strategies Royal Mail is implementing to alleviate these concerns, both in the immediate run-up to Christmas and as a long-term solution to the ongoing disruptions," he said.
"The assurances provided previously regarding the imminent resolution of these issues have unfortunately not materialised, leading to significant daily disruptions affecting thousands of houses."
He continued: "I am seeking immediate and tangible steps to rectify the existing issues.
"The specific concerns include the need for improved maintenance of vans to reduce breakdowns, the potential acquisition of additional vans, the allocation of extra hours and the employment of temporary workers. These measures are crucial to ensure seamless service during the forthcoming peak season and to address the longstanding issues affecting daily deliveries."
Royal Mail has previously acknowledged that the mail system in the Highlands has faced problems. In a previous statement, a spokesman said: "We are sorry to residents who have experienced delays in Inverness and the surrounding areas. Improving our quality of service is our top priority, and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“There have been minor delays to mail deliveries in the area and we would like to reassure residents that every effort is being made to keep these delays to a minimum. If a resident has mail and does not receive it on the day they expect, their route will be prioritised the following day.”
