MP demands action over crisis in Surbiton Post Office services

23.01.06

Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton, warned today of a crisis brewing in local services as a result of last year’s post office closures.

In a letter to the Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd, and copied to consumer watchdog Postwatch, Edward Davey spoke of the excessive waiting times experienced by customers of the Victoria Road post office. He demanded that a new review to reassess the impact of closures in the light of these unreasonable waits.

In the letter, Edward Davey said,

“I have received a number of complaints from constituents, especially concerning the number of counters open and available to serve customers at peak times. While there is the capacity for the operator to open up more windows, often they do not and I have had reports of people queuing in excess of 25 minutes for basic services. This may be the run up to Christmas, but the number of customers using the Victoria Road Post Office has increased significantly, exacerbating the problem.

“I cannot help but feel this is largely to do with the recent closure of post offices in Berrylands. I warned at the time that this move would put unprecedented pressure on the Victoria Road services but was assured that this would not be an issue. Recent reports suggest quite the opposite.

“Another review obviously needs to be conducted into Post Office services in the Surbiton area. You should either sort out the queues at Surbiton or think again on your closure programme. I urge you to take action as soon as possible and look forward to your early reply.”