News Threat to rural


mail service REGULAR postal deliveries to re- mote rural communities are under threat, MPs have been told. The House of Commons’ busi-


ness, innovation and skills commit- tee is investigating competition in the UK postal sector and the Royal Mail's universal service obligation. Under the obligation, Royal Mail


must deliver to any address in the country six days aweek – the same service for rural and urban areas. But the Rural Services Network argues that competition from other companies threatens to make daily deliveries to rural areas unsustain- able because the cost of delivering mail to more isolated rural areas is often met using revenues generated from more densely populated urban and suburban areas. Royal Mail's competitors can cherry-pick more lucrative urban areas, ignoring rural areas. Network chief executive Graham


Biggs said: "If this continues,we be- lieve it could pose a serious threat to the financial sustainability of the rural postal service." Ofcom has refused to conduct a review until the end of 2015 and Mr Biggs said: "We believe that Ofcom should bring forward its planned review of end-to-end competition.”


downsmail.co.uk


Commuters hit hard on annual rail fares


LOCAL commuters are being charged higher rail fares than their counterparts elsewhere in the South East, according to figures. Jasper Gerard, the Lib Dem’s prospective parliamentary candi- date for Maidstone and TheWeald, described the fares as a “rip off”, with an annual season ticket into central London for the 39-mile jour- ney from Maidstone East costing £4,080 (£105 per mile) compared with £3,688 (£97 per mile) from Farnham, Surrey, 38 miles from the capital. It is even more expensive for commuters in Staplehurst – 40 miles from London Bridge – where the annual charge is £4,572 (£114 per mile) In Bearsted, 42 miles from Lon-


don Victoria, a season ticket costs £4,144 (£99 per mile), compared with £3,504 (£85 per mile) from Burgess Hill,West Sussex, 41 miles from the capital. In West Malling, 34 miles from London, the charge is £3,996 (£117


per mile), while a season ticket from Camberley, Surrey, a 35-mile jour- ney, is £3,488 (£100 per mile). Mr Gerard said: “Fares fromwest


Kent in general are 20% more ex- pensive than from other Home Counties.”


Jasper Gerard


He has now written to the transport minister Patrick McLough- lin asking why Southeastern had its franchise re- newed when the rail company came close to bottom in a


customer satisfaction survey. The franchise was this year extended until 2018. Lib Dem councillors have asked Southeastern to provide details of how they intend to improve serv- ices, at a meeting of Maidstone Council’s scrutiny committee. Ton- bridge and Malling MP Sir John Stanley is also campaigning for lower fares.


Season tickets:


cost per mile Burgess Hill,West Sussex –£85 LENHAM – £88 HARRIETSHAM – £92 HOLLINGBOURNE – £95 Farnham, Surrey – £97


Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – £98


BEARSTED – £99 Camberley, Surrey – £100 MAIDSTONE EAST – £105 BARMING – £108 HEADCORN – £108 EAST MALLING – £114 STAPLEHURST – £114 MARDEN– £115 WEST MALLING – £117


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