UK communications regulator Ofcom says it plans to assess modifications to the delivery of second-class letter deliveries, following pressure from Royal Mail to reduce its requirements.
While first-class post will remain at six days a week, the watchdog suggested it was moving towards second-class letters being delivered within three working days but not on Saturdays, which was one of its 'modernisation' proposals from January.
This, Ofcom said today, would enable Royal Mail to "improve reliability, make substantial efficiency savings, and redeploy its existing resources to growth areas such as parcels".
Royal Mail, which is part of International Distributions Services PLC, said in April that this was one of its preferred options.
IDS, which has agreed to a takeover offer from Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinski, must wait for a final decision next year, following Ofcom's consultations on the proposals, which include in-depth research among postal users.
The changes, which would not require Parliament to make any changes to legislation, are expected to see consultation end in early 2025, with a decision published in summer 2025.
With an investigation also underway into Royal Mail's failure to hit its annual delivery targets, Ofcom said, its "delivery performance must improve" as it "has not been good enough", with breaches of its quality of service obligations twice in the last five years.