Jersey Post 'may need to reconsider' future daily deliveries and collections, say regulator

While the amount of parcels being sent is on the up, letter numbers continue to fall. Credit: ITV Channel

Jersey Post may 'need to reconsider' its daily deliveries and collections in the future due to changing demand and commercial reasons, according to the industry's regulator.

It comes as the amount of letters being sent continues to fall while parcel numbers are on the rise, according to an extensive review by the island's Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA).

Formal targets for how long it should take to send and receive post between the UK and Jersey will also be scrapped from March.

It comes after Jersey's mail plane was controversially stopped last August, with one business labelling the subsequent delivery delays a 'disaster'.

Mail is currently collected and delivered five days a week but the report - which is the first major review of Jersey's postal sector in more than a decade - highlights a generational split as many older people send and receive letters regularly, while younger age groups predominantly receive parcels.

It states recent years have seen more financial pressure and services may have to change to make sure the post office remains sustainable.

However, the JCRA also highlighted "the ongoing value of postal services in Jersey ... in particular Jersey Post was seen as a key institution in the wider Jersey community" following public research.

Julie Thomas, Managing Director of Jersey Post, told ITV News: "Interestingly we have just done a full review of all of staff and routes, we made some slight changes more on the letter side and that's because they are declining.

"But the parcels business is growing just as fast so actually it's much more of a staff restructuring rather than an overall reduction."

There will also be increased independent oversight with Jersey Post setting up a User Council so that residents can challenge and help influence the way the service is run.

2024 marks 20 years since Jersey's Postal Services Law was introduced and the regulator wants this to be updated to bring it in line with international standards.

JCRA's Chief Economist Peter Hetherington said: "The changes we are making will help ensure postal regulation remains relevant in the short term.

"However, the review has shown that ongoing changes forecast for the postal sector means that broader updates to the legal framework are required. Government action is needed to achieve this."