26.01.2010
Itella to cut postal delivery services for persons over 75 years of age
- company has deviated from FICORA's guidelines
Itella Oyj has notified the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) that from this on, it will interpret FICORA's guidelines on postal delivery for persons over 75 years of age in such a manner that mail will be delivered to disabled recipients of mail only either to apartment-specific mail drops or if there are not any, to a letterbox in the vicinity of the apartment. The right of others than disabled persons who are over 75 years old is delimited to exceptional postal delivery at the boundary of the plot of land.
According to FICORA, the company's procedures deviate from FICORA's guidelines, but fulfil the obligations set in the Act on Postal Services. Provisions on postal delivery for persons over 75 years of age are not included in the Act on Postal Services. The guidelines given by FICORA on the extended service for persons over 75 years of age is based on a procedure agreed together by FICORA and Itella, and is therefore based on an agreement. FICORA has no legal powers to oblige postal operators to deliver the postal items of all persons over 75 years of age to apartment-specific mail drops or in the immediate vicinity of the apartment.
FICORA regrets that Itella no longer complies with the procedures agreed upon in the delivery guidelines, which have provided better delivery services for persons over 75 years of age. Itella's new approach clearly weakens the access of certain mail recipients over 75 years of age to the service. In addition, Itella's one-sided notification of its failure to comply with the guidelines weakens the trust both mail recipients and authorities have in the delivery guidelines, which may, in the future, clearly reduce the significance of the guidelines in settling differences concerning delivery methods.
Further information:
Merja Saari, Deputy Director, Communications Services Supervision, tel. +358 9 6966 468, tel. +358 50 386 1771
