Parcelforce’s arrangements during the Olympic Games include switching some delivery areas between depots to avoid Olympic traffic, revising delivery and collection routes, creating new routes to give drivers more time to complete their deliveries and collections and introducing some two person delivery and collection routes to make it easier for drivers where parking and unloading restrictions are in place.
They are even making arrangements to complete many collections and deliveries on foot, which considering this is a parcels business probably isn’t going to be fun for the Parcelforce staff who have to undertake them. If you’ve ever looked in the back of a courier van you’ll know just how big and heavy some parcels can be!
The exceptions to normal Parcelforce service is a £1 surcharge for deliveries to the worst affected London postcodes and special arrangements for deliveries to Olympic Games venues.
Due to the UPS closed shop for deliveries to the Olympic Games Parcelforce will have no access to the Official London 2012 venues and Olympic village. They are offering two options for deliveries to these locations:
- Parcels destined for delivery directly to Olympic Games venues can be handed to UPS for the final mile delivery. All items will incur a UPS imposed final mile delivery charge starting at £5 per parcel, plus a “security” charge of £20 per parcel again imposed by UPS. Although Parcelforce are maintaining normal delivery guarantees on the Express24 and Express48 services across the rest of London, UPS will have acceptance cut off times at each venue which may mean Parcelforce deliveries to the Olympic Games could be delayed for 24 hours.
- If you prefer, items can be delivered to an alternative address, including a local Post Office branch for the recipient to collect. Although this might be inconvenient, especially due to the additional traffic around the venues, it does mean that Parcelforce can get items to Olympians without the extortionate UPS imposed £25 surcharges.
Parcelforce have been busily recruiting additional staff and obtaining extra vehicles and equipment to prepare for London 2012. Whilst they are aiming to maintain normal collection times if this will change on certain days then they will contact you. If you have a scheduled collection and wish to alter your opening hours during the Games period just get in touch with your Parcelforce account manager.
Parcelforce have a dedicated website to help you cope with the inconveniences of the Olympic Games at www.parcelforce.com/2012. There may also be some minor delays to local deliveries in the vicinity of the Olympic Torch as it’s convey trundles around the country.
