Royal Mail Warns New Delivery Targets Could Raise Consumer Costs

Ofcom's proposed reforms include stricter reliability benchmarks and reduced delivery schedules, as Royal Mail pushes for regulatory flexibility and prepares for a historic foreign takeover.

• Ofcom has proposed new delivery reliability targets requiring 99.5% of first-class letters to arrive within three days and 99.5% of second-class letters within five days.
• Royal Mail argues that meeting these targets would significantly increase operational costs, potentially driving up prices for consumers.
• The postal service is urging Ofcom to remove rules preventing parcel tracking for first- and second-class services, calling the restrictions outdated in the digital age.
• Royal Mail supports some changes, such as reducing next-day delivery guarantees and altering second-class delivery schedules, to improve financial sustainability.
• The developments come as Royal Mail nears a £3.6bn takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, marking the first foreign ownership in its 500-year history.

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