The Royal Mail could be allowed to scrap Saturday post deliveries as regulator Ofcom conducts a review into the postal service.
Ofcom is poised to publish a document next week detailing how Royal Mail can “evolve to more closely meet consumer needs”.
The regulator is not commenting on what the options will be ahead of publication.
A spokesperson for Ofcom confirmed that it will publish evidence on “how the universal postal service might need to evolve to more closely meet consumer needs”.
A postal worker from behind on March 17, 2020 in Cardiff, United Kingdom
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They added: “It would ultimately be for the UK Government and Parliament to determine whether any changes are needed to the minimum requirements of the universal service.”
Ofcom previously confirmed it would look at evidence on Royal Mail’s universal service.
The universal service ensures letters must be delivered Monday to Saturday.
However, the service could change to reflect how people use the service.
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Royal Mail delivery lorries and minivans parked in the car park of the Mount Pleasant Post Office
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Royal Mail posted a £319million loss for the first half of this financial year in a major blow to the postal service.
It has been calling for urgent reform since 2020.
Royal Mail previously suggested it would like to reduce its delivery days.
It expressed an interest in dropping its six day service to five, operating between Monday and Friday only.
A Royal Mail postal worker preparers to deliver the mail at his van in London
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Martin Seidenberg, chief executive of Royal Mail’s owners International Distribution Services PLC, suggested change is needed on Thursday.
He said: “It is simply not sustainable to maintain a delivery network built for 20 billion letters when we are now only delivering seven billion.”
However, a change to Royal Mail’s universal service would require legislative change.
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch would need to bring forward secondary legislation to amend the Postal Services Act 2011.