That must be part of the policy for reducing Carbon emission...

What a lot of BS

i'll be watching on ebay! i've always wanted a pashley, and a sturmey archer hub, now there's 23,500 up for grabs :)

And yet here in France, the bicycles remain a common method of delivering mail. I realize the health-and-safety obsession has been cited as a reason, but I would expect that the postal workers using them have an overall better health status (for example body composition, blood pressure, hematologic values) than those driving vans all day.

I see 2 issues, both of which are currently 'hot topics', that can be used as an argument against this proposal:

1) Carbon footprint

2) The fight against obesity

It is not just the people who need to alter their use of fossil fuels in order to reduce pollution and improve quality of life and environmental factors, both now and for our future generations. An example can be set by the various government organizations that have a high profile. Leading by example is always a good idea. And yes, Boris Johnson has impressed me in that regard: I especially enjoyed his recent foray as a 'pursuit cyclist' (for lack of a better term).

Similarly, in the current campaign to improve overall health and reduce the incidence of obesity, the physical activity that this delivery method demands can also be used in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

I would suggest that if the Communication Workers Union were indeed upset at this turn of events, then the first step would be to align arguments against the change in delivery method. First, attack the carbon footprint issue. There are enough academics at universities who would likely be eager to help deliver this information and write the argument. the second part, the health issues, can be carried out simultaneously. Body composition assessment so f the bicycle workers, cardiovascular assessments, blood profiles for LDL, HDL, triglycerides and blood sugar, and one could also add biomechanics, such as isokinetic leg strength or functional assessments for mobility.

I don't see this , yet, as a fait accompli, but id the Communication Workers Union wants to maintains the use of bicycles, it will require a campaign using science and PR. I would imagine that the proper alliances within the academic research sphere would minimize the costs of this. Of course, here in France, the first reaction would be to have a strike and a demonstration, take it to the streets. I wonder now how that would fit in with the health-and-safety protocols. ;-)

The health and safety thing just appears to be a tag on justification for a decision they'd already made. I doubt any arguments about C02 or obesity will sway them!

Has it really come to it that the British Royal Mail need a helping hand from the US Postal Service Team?!

Get back on your bikes and man up!

"We expect to see a reduction in the number of delivery accidents as a result of our rollout of the new delivery technology, as a substantial proportion of accidents are currently linked to the use of bicycles on busy road networks."

Given the way the typical Royal Mail delivery van is driven I very much doubt that this move will lead to a reduction in road crashes. From now on other cyclists will have to keep an even sharper eye out for 'Red van man'.

Well Well Well what another brilliant move by Royal Fail. So they are going to replace bikes that take up next to no room on the road and are not really a danger to the public with big vans, where no doubt the driver wont use his mirors and will inevetiably cause more accidents for other road users. Cyclist will probably get S**t of them as it seems to be the way if you drive a van you have to rude to all cyclists after you have cut them up of P**sed them off. Also as a motor cyclist I hate van drivers again for the same reasons. Well done Royal mail congratulations you are retarded.

sad sad sad, a real step backwards against the flow of the times

that they would cite safety concerns in a "cycling is dangerous" manner also goes against stated government policy on promoting cycle use.

I agree with the above, this is a load of rhetoric to cover a decision they have already made. For once I agree with the Unions, probably part of a larger re-centralisation drive.

I don't know if you'll see them on eBay time soon. I was told our NZ Post really does scrap (destroy) the bikes rather than resell them.

Do you want to bet that Adam Crozier will soon be taking up a directorship of a van dealership when he leaves the Post office?

We shouldn't go out side any more, it's too dangerous and you could trip! We urge you to stay inside!

NEXT UP!

Banning of pencils! Too dangerious!

Banning of House! Could Fall on you!

Banning of living, if you live, you die! Too dangerious!!

This is ridiculous!

The Royal Mail are a business like any other - one that is struggling. This decision must be based completely on the efficiency gains. At the moment post workers are taking out up to 40kg on those bikes in all kinds of weather conditions. Its a big ask for someone with high fitness let alone anyone else. For the Royal Mail they need to deliver more, with the same amount of workers in order to survive. Using vans they can take out a significant amount more mail, including parcels.

Associating this to H&S is just smoke and mirrors

Another victory for Health and Safety Communists !!!!!

If these morons were in charge 5000 years ago we'd all still be living in caves, freezing cold, eating raw vegetables. Because naturally it'd be too much of a risk to light a fire, and of course far too dangerous to go out hunting for some meat. Little Timmy-wimmy cave man might hurt himselfy-welfy.. ahhhhh

What a joke and a blow for cycling. Seeing the postee out on their bike was a great advert for the bike as an alternative. I agree with buzzbI it's purely an economic decision.

I look forward to seeing lots more poorly driven Royal Mail vans on the roads, but then I suppose the health and safety of the general public comes second place. Regularly get buzzed by Royal Mail vans in Leatherhead.

If they are planning to scrap (rather than sell) them maybe they will kindly forget to lock some of them up outside the sorting offices.

I think the main health and safety risk associated with posties on bikes is them riding on pavements at speed when there's lots of pedestrians around.

Another case of "cyclists" having to pay for bad drivers. Wouldn't it be logic to responsibilize the car drivers instead?

what people forget when looking at cycling risks, is that they are all offset by the health benefts - on average you live longer if you cycle!

anyway, i agree with the above - they are just rationalising a previously made 'golf course' decision.

@MyPace

"...on averaage you live longer if you cycle!"

Ah now I can see the Royal Mail's real reason - think of the impact on the pension scheme if they can bring that average down!

whoops.. spelling mistake. I meant:

Its not immigrants ruining this country.

Its health and safety hysteria.

Lets deport the Royal Mail executive to one of those African countries already suffering from climate change. That will change their mind about replacing bicycles with deisel vans.

Delivery vans have a larger storage capacity than bikes (obviously)... I smell layoffs!

This is what i don't get. It's not that riding a Cycle is dangerous it's the environment that we ride them in and how they are ridden.

Not all cyclists are good, they ride on the pavements, jump red lights, cut up other vehicles.

But the british road system sucks for cyclists to use, especially in busy cities, cycle lanes are a farce.

Whats the point of 50 Mtrs then for it to stop.

Why do we have to use crossings, why can't we have priority go lights a few seconds in advance of the main green lights.

Oh and why the hell can the British make roads that last longer than one winter (Potholes) and loose road stone.

24,000 extra vans on the road... well thats going to be helpful isn't it!

Bikes are normally faster in cramped up congested urban areas anyway!

Bloody royal fail, should lose their royal status

Hugely disappointing. I've had the pleasure of cycling alongside some posties in the London to Brighton bike ride. Being out on a bike gave them great job satisfaction, I was told. Given that other firms are actively trying to reduce their carbon emissions by looking at schemes such as pool bikes for staff it makes no sense whatsoever.

There must also be massive financial implications for Royal Mail too. The additional vans and trolleys sound a more expensive long-term option.

"On Royal Mail's own website, bicycle accidents come in fifth behind Slips, trips and falls"

Maybe they should ban walking. Being on your feet is much more dangerous than being on a bike :)

More inane corporate profit seeking crap.

This will be about profit and profit alone -well being of staff and quality of life a will have not been factors. However, the fact is that bikes are quicker than walking and in many big cities quicker than cars and vans. City roads speeds are decreasing and the roads are only going to get more clogged up - the government should getting involved this is another disaster. Staff will be unhealthier, C02 emissions will increase roads will be more clogged. Staff will be more isolated in their vehicles.

Just as cycling is taking off and people are taking cycling more seriously - The Royal Mail are going against all current thinking - with Adam Crozier at the helm this is unsurprising.

Tom

Give them 20 instead of 40kg?

You won't need 24,000 vans. Each van can carry at least 15 times what your average cyclist can carry so that'll be 1600 vans.

In my book that means 22400 too many posties. I don't know what they earn, but working on £20k that's a saving of £448,000,000. 1600 vans at £12k = £19,200,000 outlay for first year, keep vans for 3 years and they'll be £1,325,000,000 better off.

I'd be dissapointed if they got to China to buy stuff, I'm sure there are plenty of co over here that can make what they want.

Re Van calculations

That's just the sort of calculation that will have been presented - no on costs, no true estimates of delivery times, no understanding of time to deliver in a van compared with a bicycle. No consideration of the need to employ staff that are healthy and need employment. Just a bottom line that will not work out in practice - A bit like all those Bankers that showed they could make a great profit especially if they hedge their bets -

I know - maybe we need to have all our jobs done in China - I remember the Chinese ambassador saying in a report that the Chinese could take ALL the European jobs and it still would not be enough to keep their poulation of 1,325,639,982 (20% of the world poulation) people employed!

We really need to start to think in different directions - the Crozier direction is leading the UK to unemployment is that what we want.

Tom

This is totally counter to moves to change urban transport patterns. Also petrol & diesel prices are set to keep rising, so RM will moan that delivery costs are increasing. Blinkered? Not 'arf.

My local delivery office had an unofficial no-show one day during the snow because a postie slipped and broke his arm. Zero support from the management, they told the staff that they were on their own if they slipped on ice. RM management are interested solely in shipping more mail at lower cost.