The delivery of second-class letters on Saturdays is to be scrapped under an overhaul of Royal Mail’s universal service obligation being proposed by the regulator.
First-class letters would continue to be delivered six days a week, though, under changes to be put to consultation by Ofcom, which said there was strong support for the “fundamental principles of universality, affordability and uniform pricing”.
Ofcom said a review this year of the so-called universal service obligation (USO) had acknowledged changes were needed if the service was to remain “sustainable, affordable and reliable”.
The proposals align with suggestions made by Royal Mail, the former state postal operator which was privatised in 2013 and is in the midst of a £3.57 billion takeover bid.
Royal Mail has been increasingly