JERSEY Post is introducing a ‘mobile’ post office to provide services to outlying areas of the Island.

The States-owned company is also hoping that customers will adapt to the ‘post and pay’ kiosks being trialled at the main post offices. The management is keen to cut costs in the face of falling volume in more traditional services, the ongoing losses of maintaining the network of sub-post offices, and increased competition from an open market.

The Island’s postal service is also hoping to attract more business from outside the Island, including on-line retailers and bulk mail operations targeting Europe. The most recent figures covering the Christmas period show that although the total volume handled by Jersey Post went up by 21%, totalling some 14 million items, much of this was for bulk export coming from internet retailers like Play.com and Amazon.

Chief executive John Pinel explained that Jersey Post had a service obligation to provide certain services even if they were unprofitable. Mr Pinel said that this was now becoming ‘a real challenge’, particularly in terms of the sub-post offices which were all running at a loss.

• General manager of Postal Sevices Andy Jéhan (left), chief executive John Pinel and commercial director Andrew Starkey. Picture by Tony Pike (00611738)