Published: Monday, 23rd June, 2008 15:30
Post office is an asset to the city
Print Article
IN reply to the recent letter in the Press from George Martin, I would like to give Dunfermline people some facts about the proposed Post Office closure at Transy and explain why Transy is so special.
The main reason is that it is a profitable, well-run business and an asset to the city.
A few years ago the government decided to change the benefit system from being paid out via benefit books to a direct banking system.
Post Offices that paid out a lot of benefits saw their income reduce by as much as half almost overnight and by the time the urban closure programme was put into effect three years ago the three post offices that closed down were barely breaking even. Transy had historically done most of their business with postal services so it made good economic sense to keep it open.
I was the postmistress at Transy at the time and I was given a grant from Post Office Ltd for a third of the cost to refit the shop and create two post office positions to satisfy demand when the closures of the other offices took place.
Post office business has steadily increased at Transy ever since with customers coming from all around Dunfermline. They have a footfall of more than 750 customers a week despite the fact that they still don't have the facility to sell road tax or top of electric keys. This compares to 1000 footfall at St. Andrews street who have both these services.
I am sensible enough to understand that the people's post office network is a commercial business like any other and that some unprofitable underused outlets will need to close in order for the network as a whole to survive but Transy is not one of these outlets. It makes no sense why they have even been considered for closure.
It's nothing to do with friends in high places or any other conspiracy theory George might have, it's just good business practice.
I would urge everyone to go to the public meeting on Monday in the Vine Church at 7pm to make sure this valuable asset is not lost because of some bureaucratic mistake.
Gillian Docherty,
16 Clune Road, Gowkhall.
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Further Details
The Paralympic Lion Roars once more!