Jura misses the post
Islanders missing out on postal deliveries say Royal Mail need to sort the problem out.
A breakdown in communication between management at Oban sorting office and the office at Port Ellen on Islay has left Jura with a less than firstclass Royal Mail service, it has been claimed.
The confusion as to how the relief service was supposed to work when the usual postie was on holiday could have meant a three-week stretch with no mail arriving on the island and nothing leaving Jura either, said Chris Lamb who manages Jura Community Shop.
Blood samples are also sent off the island through the post, said Mr Lamb, and Royal Mail is also contracted to bring newspapers over from Islay so that has not been happening either.
After The Oban Times made contact with Royal Mail, a spokesperson said no further delays are anticipated.
Mr Lamb said: ‘Going without mail hasn’t happened to this extent before. We expect it if ferries go off because of bad weather or breakdowns, but not because of Royal Mail.
‘We’re hoping this will be just a blip and it will get sorted but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Our relief postie believed everything was organised. Potentially it could affect us for three weeks, but we hope not.’
In normal circumstances, the Jura postie picks mail up from the sorting office in Port Ellen to bring it back over and deliver. The relief postal worker had agreed via management at Oban sorting office that instead of crossing to Islay to drive to Port Ellen for the post, she would pick it up off the ferry on the Jura side at Feolin.
But the Port Ellen office knew nothing about this arrangement.
Frustration over the post was brought up during a community day and Kintyre and Islands councillors say the situation is not acceptable.
Royal Mail’s service to Jura was ‘not up to scratch’ and was letting the community down, said Councillor Alastair Redman, adding: ‘This is a failure in management, not our hardworking postal workers.’ Councillor Anne Horn said she had raised the issue with Royal Mail. ‘I appreciate the difficulty this brings for residents, businesses and GP services,’ she said.
And Argyll and Bute Council leader Robin Currie said: ‘People should get a daily delivery. The service on Islay, where I stay, is affected as well. Some people only get deliveries a few times a week. I have had hospital appointments sent to me and they have never arrived or arrived after the appointment date. This is a cost to NHS for missed appointments and also could be serious for me missing appointments.’
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm services on Jura are currently operating as normal, with no delays anticipated.’
Anyone with concerns over Royal Mail’s services on Jura should contact 03457 740740 or visit the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com.