Without warning, and without any consultation, Royal Mail have inserted new information plates in many local pillar boxes advising of a much earlier collection time for mail, typically changed by almost eight hours from 4.45pm to 9.00am, on Mondays to Fridays.

The Saturday collections have been brought forward by more than four hours to 7.00am from 11.30am.

This is a major reduction in service level for customers. It is also disrespectful of the users of the postal service, many of whom rely on a late afternoon uplift of their mail.

The cost of posting letters seems to frequently rise and yet the service level falls, now with earlier collection times and later delivery times. Against competition from electronic mail, and also other parcel and letter delivery companies, one would have thought Royal Mail would try to provide a better service than others to maintain a competitive advantage.

The revised collection times in this suburban location are much earlier than many rural locations in the Highlands and Islands. Even at the few remaining pillar boxes with later collections, adjustments have been made to worsen the weekday uplift times to 4.00pm instead of 4.45pm.

In a small survey of local pillar boxes it appears more than 80 per cent have been downgraded with much earlier collection times. This is very unhelpful for mail that is time-sensitive. It is very inconvenient, especially for home workers or the elderly or the less able, who will have to travel much further to the small number of pillar boxes with later collection times.

Not too long ago, around 2005, typically there were four collections per day from local pillar boxes during the week, two on Saturdays, and even a Sunday collection from Milngavie Post Office.

The timing is inappropriate some four weeks before Christmas when Royal Mail receives massive revenue.

Is this the thin edge of the wedge? Do we need a campaign to Save our Pillar Boxes? Is this the start of the demise of the suburban and possibly rural pillar box? Will the Saturday delivery be the next target for cutbacks? Is this reduction in service an unacceptable consequence of privatisation ?

Robin M Brown,

46 Buchanan Street,

Milngavie.