Changes to postal services across the Rosneath Peninsula have been delayed, Royal Mail confirmed this week.
Earlier this year small stickers appeared on post boxes across the area, saying that the last collection was being brought forward by up to six hours ‘to improve efficiency’.
This was due to take effect on March 1 but now the start of the reduced service has been put back, amid confusion about the new arrangements.
The exact times vary, but in Kilcreggan a change from 3pm to 9am on weekdays, and from 10.15am to 7am on Saturdays, is typical.
Te company, which was privatised in 2013 , says many post boxes ‘no longer cover their costs’ because of ‘a significant decline in letter volumes’, so postal staff would empty them on their morning rounds.
In February a Royal Mail spokesperson said there would always be a later post box (after 4pm) within a mile of a ‘collection on delivery’ box.
But today he said these would be at Kilcreggan and Rosneath post offices – both of which are well over a mile away from the post boxes affected.
“Changes to these postboxes’ collection times will be fully implemented in the near future, once new time plates have been installed,” he said.
“In the meantime, the previous collection times still apply.
“In Kilcreggan, the Post Office has a postbox from which collections take place after 3.15pm weekdays and after 11.17 on Saturdays (apart from on Wednesdays, when the Post Office is closed).
“In Rosneath, collections take place from the postbox at the Post Office after 3.45pm on weekdays and after 11.19 on Saturdays. Collections from these post offices’ post box at these times will continue.”
He added that the nearest late posting facilities to the postbox on Knockderry Road in Cove would be 2.5km away and, with a measure of distance perhaps based on straight lines rather than roads, that Rosneath Post Office was 3.5km away.
In recent years post offices have been closed down in Clynder and Cove, as well as on Helensburgh’s Churchill estate.
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