Contact:
Prime Minister's Press Secretary
Thursday,
October 19, 2006 – The St. Lucia Postal service is seeking to allay the
recently expressed fears of some residents of Augier in Vieux-Fort North
regarding the status of door-to-door postal service in that area, which has been
suspended.
Some residents had been complaining about the inconvenience caused particularly
to elderly, ailing or handicapped persons who cannot make the trip to the Post
Office and whose utility bills reach late, resulting in added inconvenience,
including disconnections.
According to the Postmaster General, Mrs Philomene St. Clair, the door-to-door
postal service was suspended temporarily due to the resignation of the delivery
agent for that area.
She says, however, that a recommendation has been made to the Ministry of the
Public Service for the employment of another delivery agent to ensure that
affected residents of Augier and other communities that depended on the service
will not have to travel or pay someone else to travel to Vieux-Fort to collect
their mail.
The Postmaster General assured that the St. Lucia Postal Service “is committed
to ensuring its services meet the expectation of customers, especially where
delivery is concerned.”
In the last few years, the postal service has made a number of changes to
improve the quality of delivery service, with the introduction of a door-to-door
delivery service in some rural communities.
The island’s most senior postal officer also indicated that there are plans to
expand the installation of community boxes in rural and sub-urban areas.
So far, community post boxes have been installed in three areas, namely Richfond,
Garrand and Americ (Babonneau).
The Postmaster General apologised for the inconvenience caused to residents of
the affected communities in the south and says it will be temporary.
She has also assured that her office will make the resumption of service a
matter of priority.
