 From 2006 licensed firms will be able to collect, transport and deliver letters |
The mail dropping through your letter box each morning may not be delivered by the Royal Mail for much longer.
The body that regulates post services, has announced that the company is to lose its 350 year old monopoly in January - more than a year earlier than planned.
The industry's regulator Postcomm said that from 2006 licensed firms will be
able to collect, transport and deliver letters.
Breakfast had the latest developments on this story throughout Friday's programme
Bill Hayes, General Secretary of the Communications Workers Union was live on Breakfast - click on the link on the right to watch that interview
We heard from Peter Carr from the post office users' group Postwatch. You can also see that interview from the link to the right of this page
Follow the links on the right of this page for websites for Postwatch, and the regulator - Postcomm
The industry's regulator Postcomm said that from 2006 licensed firms will be able to collect, transport and deliver letters.
Customers will be given a "real choice" and will increase pressure on the Royal Mail to raise its game, said Postcomm.
The Royal Mail said it was ready for competition, but the Communication Workers Union (CWU) warned that the move would threaten the system of delivering a letter anywhere in the country for the same price.
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