Tonight:
4°c
Postmen are banned from delivering on 'danger' roads
Danny Brierley4 Feb 2009
Millions of Londoners have not had any post for the past three days.
Royal Mail has banned postmen from driving or walking down roads that have not been gritted, unions said.
A spokeswoman for the Communications Workers' Union said that on Monday there had been no deliveries in large parts of London and the whole of Surrey, Essex and Kent. A union spokeswoman said: "There's a safety first approach and we think that is quite right too."
Yesterday Royal Mail sent out staff to deliver in roads that had been gritted and more were sent out today. But there are still thousands of streets deemed too dangerous. Postmen have been redeployed to sorting.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. We're doing all we can to continue to provide services and where we are still encountering problems, we are working to restore normal service as soon as possible."
Reader views (24)
does any1 know if they will be delivering mail from today 2/12/2010 as the council started to salt the roads yesterday? everybody is still expecting mail the world has not stoped because of a little snow you know! and EVENING STANARD i expected better from you why on earth are all these comments from last year???
- andre, croydon, addiscombe, 02/12/2010 12:17
Report abuse
We all made it in to work, some of us decided it was best to get out on the streets and get it done. The Union just say we don't have to go out to protect their own soft selves. Most of the General public are appreciative. i took my sledge on my round, i agree we should have better boots issued, i've even been wearing ice chains on my boots which have been outlawed, health and safety 'again'. Give us the tools to do the job and we'll do it.
- Lower Midlands Postette, Brackley, 06/02/2009 21:41
Report abuse
Disgusting, how dare the Royal Mail put the safety of their staff above our convienience!!!!
- Nj, London, 05/02/2009 10:06
Report abuse
No mail since Saturday here in Wandsworth AND they aren't even emptying the red boxes? I tried to post something yesterday and the box, situated on a salted main road, was full to the brim and overflowing.
In spite of what remained of the snow ordinary local folk were walking to shopping centres, carrying bags of shopping etc.
The judgement of local sorting office managers really has to be questioned. The thaw was well on the way some before the time when normal deliveries would have started. Common sense would tell people that deliveries were perfectly possible yesterday.
But then the refuse collection didn't happened either although Wandsworth Council had said it would.
I suppose the foxes and the rats will at least be fed. There are plenty of bags already split open and providing opportunities for wild animals to benefit.
It's not all bad news!
- Celia, Wandsworth London, 05/02/2009 10:00
Report abuse
Royal Mail's city-centre managers have no idea what the real world is like. Out here in rural areas the post gets delivered - on bikes - in all weather. Only one road through the village is gritted and all the estates and side roads are covered in snow and ice. This is how it has always been, and how it always will be. How long will they delay the delivery of mail, just because there is a little snow? Businesses depend on it, and so do their customers.
- Ian In Norfolk, Dereham, Norfolk, 05/02/2009 08:58
Report abuse
Is this a peculiarly 'London' phenomenon? Perhaps Royal Mail in our area has more respect for its staff. Our posties have been out and about every day. I'm grateful for that - as I hope others are grateful that I've turned up to work every day.
- Tammy L Field, Kempston, Beds, 05/02/2009 00:53
Report abuse
I agree that it is ridiculous that postmen/women cannot deliver our post. I too have had no post delivered and had to go to the sorting office to collect mine. They say its due to health and safety, but my little paperboy and milkman managed to deliver!! Why can't the delivery people be issued with snow boots that have metal grippers underneath to stop slipping. Pathetic!
- Carol, Herts, 04/02/2009 21:54
Report abuse
I live in Romford and I have not notice one road that has been gritted. The pavements have not been touched either. We bought our own grit for outside our house. This morning I saw a council litter picker=upper trying to do his job. The pavements here are all under two inches of compacted ice and snow so you can't even see the pavement let alone any litter that may be lurking! Perhaps he would have been better employed gritting the pavements. Havering Council will no doubt up their tax in April!
- Jan, London, 04/02/2009 21:07
Report abuse
I live on a North facing road which gets little sun. The pavements over the last couple of days have become covered in 2 cms of packed ice, a danger to old and young alike..... But now they are nice and clear. Why? Not because the council have gritted them, but because my neighbour and her 3 YEAR OLD SON set to work on them with a garden fork and a broom. They made a great team actually, and could teach the council a thing or two about hard work and care for the community.
- Claire, London, 04/02/2009 19:41
Report abuse
...so when are the councils going to grit the roads/pavements?
- Andy, London, 04/02/2009 18:08
Report abuse
I must stress that me and fellow postpersons have turned up for work everyday since the snow started and had a delivery everyday wether the conditions were dangerous.It is very hard to do a delivery with an 11kg bag on your back but we all struggled through.We are not all lazy layabouts some people are saying.Ask anyone in south woodford e.18 about their postal service.Its the councils who want to get their fingers out and grit the roads and pavements.Maybe it will make our job a bit easier.
- Maxine Rush, london, 04/02/2009 17:56
Report abuse
This is the most ridiculous, wimpish thing I have probably ever heard. The postman has not come since FRIDDAY. Pathetic!
- Issy, London, 04/02/2009 17:33
Report abuse
How pathetic. My newspaper was delivered by 7am today and yesterday. Postman nowhere to be seen though.
- John, Bromley, 04/02/2009 17:21
Report abuse
too right,rightly so,you wouldnt be able too walk at 4 mph on icy pavements,unless a manager can show us how its done ......
- j coleby, norfolk, 04/02/2009 16:27
Report abuse
Why are the roads not gritted?
Don't we pay enough council tax ?
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD, 04/02/2009 16:10
Report abuse
What total whimps. Heavens preserve us from this "elf & safety" culture created by this New Labour crowd. When will these people learn that NOTHING in this world is totally free from risk. Get a life and get on with it.
- Malcolm, London, 04/02/2009 15:57
Report abuse
Lazy, useless, skiving numbnuts. I can understand maybe not Monday, but why not today? I hope they are not being paid for staying home.
- Kerry, Purley, 04/02/2009 15:51
Report abuse
I suppose that all we need to hear now is that council workers won't be going on to ungritted roads and pavements for the same reason. Everyone else has to deal with ungritted roads and pavemnets but not the state enterprises and local government.
- MIke, London Borough of Bromley, 04/02/2009 15:33
Report abuse
Sounds reasonable to me, I cleared my driveway and garden path of snow 2 days ago but this morning it was like a sheet of ice. If I'd have been carrying a heavy postage bag I would more than likely have gone flying, if I'd then had to carry the bag to 500 odd identical addresses the chances of me not coming a cropper would have been very small. The Royal Mail is covering their own posterior by covering those of their employees, annoying yes, but eminently sensible.
- Bob, Cheam, 04/02/2009 15:29
Report abuse
Its funny that aspecial deliverie postman (walking in the snow) asked me for directions today. Perhaps extra postage cost deem it to be safe. We have not had any post since last week ITS A JOKE Iam old enough to remember the postman delivering in the BLITZ it was deemed OK then
- bob, shirley croydon, 04/02/2009 15:20
Report abuse
How pathectic!
Wrap the little darlings up in cotton wool and hold their hands, and their heavy bags, whilst they deliver the post.
What a bunch of soft sods they are, Elf & safety - stuff 'em!
- Postless, Everywhere, 04/02/2009 15:14
Report abuse
What a bunch of wimps. In the US the Postal Service motto is "come rain or shine" and they are proud that mail is delivered come what may. Whereas our cotton wool wrapped posties won't venture out in case they turn an ankle....aaaaaaaaaaw
- Mark, London, 04/02/2009 15:01
Report abuse
This is getting trully ridiculous, my road is still covered in thick compacted snow... despite living "the brighter borough"- wandsworth ! we have not seen a postman since last friday.....or a gritter, or the bin men....terrible
- Liza, London, 04/02/2009 14:55
Report abuse
Why ? We have had about 8 to 12 inches here and only major roads have been gritted, yet we still made deliveries to all addresses.
- Northern Postman, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, 04/02/2009 14:47
Report abuse
