Israel Post expands 24-hour mail delivery service
Express one-day delivery to become part of basic services list, reach communities nationwide. Post's request to nix telegram service due to law demand denied
The Israel Postal Service is planning to expand in one-day express delivery service to reach all communities nationwide.
The Knesset Economics Committee approved the measure, which was so far limited to only 84 communities.
The Israel Post asked the Knesset Economics Committee to allow it to nix its telegram service, due to low demand. The request was denied.
Committee Chairman MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen (Likud) said he doubts whether the measure was necessary.
Israel Postal Company deputy CEO Herzel Bar-Mag argued that the telegram service is anachronistic and is rarely used in the era of email and text messages. According to him, the costs of the service surpass its revenue, resulting in loses of NIS 2.5 millions. By removing the service from the basic services list its price can be raised until it will be no longer used.
24-hour delivey in all communities, starting mid-June (Photo: Israel Yosef)
More Illustrated telegrams instead
The telegram revenue is 124,000 annually, more than half of them are illustrated telegrams. Bar-Mag noted that illustrated telegrams are not a basic service, and still remain in demand. He further said that Israel Postal Company has no intention to stop the service but rather to develop it to include more features.
Regular telegrams have been long cancelled in many countries such as Australia, Canada and Germany. While the sending process is fairly simple in Israel, the delivery often causes problems since the recipients are often unavailable.
Compared to the fading demand for telegrams, 24 hour mail has become more popular with 700 Million letters annually. The service will become available in all post offices in mid-June. A final response on telegrams will be delivered later this week.
