Swiss Post CEO: letter delivery will not "slow down abruptly"
The mail delivery in Germany, according to Post CEO Tobias Meyer, will not slow down as much in the beginning of next year as a legislative amendment allows. The delivery time for letters - that is, the duration until arrival at the recipient's address - will not change suddenly in January, but there will be a gradual transition, Meyer said, looking at the Postlaw Novelle that the Bundesrat had recently adopted.
Regarding the duration of this transition, he said: "one to two years." This means that letters in some regions may still be delivered quickly in 2026.
So far, 80 percent of today's thrown-in letters must be delivered by the next working day, and 95 percent by the second working day. In January 2025, the first volume requirement will be dropped and the second requirement will be moved to the third working day. Consequently, it could shift the delivery of 80 percent of the letter volume according to the statutory requirement by two days.
Meyer emphasized that this was a minimum requirement and that the actual average could be higher. "It brings us nothing to sit on a pile of letters and wait until the time is ripe." Since the letter volume is decreasing in the digital age, we can work faster. "If we have fewer letters to deal with, we can sort them more quickly." Most adjustments to the network will be made in the course of 2025, the rest in 2026.
The Post boss Tobias Meyer mentioned that the postal law reform, which the Bundesrat recently adopted, allows for a legislative amendment affecting mailing in Germany. To provide a smooth transition, the mailing speed change for letters won't occur suddenly in January but will instead be gradual, lasting one to two years.
