Courier input will be integrated
into current legislation
COURIER OPERATORS have been given some breathing space before the Department of Communications implements any hard and fast regulations on the post office's control of all parcels weighing one kilo or less. And according to the office of the Postal Regulator in Pretoria, all may not be lost to the private sector.
In terms of Section 61 of the Postal Services Act of 1998, parcels weighing less than a kilo must be sent through the postal authorities, a ruling which sent shudders through the courier industry when it was gazetted last October. Many small courier operators depend on the dispatch of documents which generally weigh little more than 500grams.
Following publication of the regulations, however, the Postal Regulator's office gave the industry an opportunity to express
its concerns about the matter, and all submissions received from stakeholders have been taken into account. Individual meetings with the majority of them are now taking place.
"We decided to feel out the market and try to find a workable solution for all concerned," says chief administration officer Thapelo Dikotla.
"Our attitude now is to be inter-active with the courier industry and to be certain that we fully understand the feeling in the market place. Then we will conduct what we can describe as workshops where we can integrate suitable submissions into the regulations.
"Many of the comments we have received have been very good and helpful to the directorate and have assisted us in formulating our next course of action. Developments have been changing as we have gone along meeting the people concerned, and we hope to have a revised set of regulations in place by the end of March.Ó
