Zimpost to add more post buses

The company introduced the post bus concept in 2010 when it bought a bus to transport passengers and mail at the same time.

Mr Zimbago said the buses were performing well and had helped the company to meet mail delivery on the routes they plied while also covering operational costs.

He said the post bus project was being implemented to cover high mail distribution costs caused by falling letter volumes as people turn to new media to send messages such as email and SMS.

“The post bus concept allows Zimpost to provide transportation, courier and retail on the selected post bus routes and is becoming more popular by the day. This is being implemented to hedge against high mail distribution costs faced by the company against a backdrop of low and declining mail volumes,” said Mr Zimbago.

He said the project was in line with Zimpost’s strategic vision for business growth through diversification, improvement on quality of service and cost containment.

Mr Zimbago also said Zimpost was now able to transport mail between destinations that were over 440 kilometres apart more frequently and still manage to break even and be profitable in some instances.

“The post bus service has been successfully implemented and this success is not limited to the positive feedback from the public which has led to the belief and conviction that the public appreciates the good service that we are rendering,” he said.

He said both the Universal Postal Union and Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe expected Zimpost to meet given minimum delivery standards including deliveries in remote areas which had less business volumes that rendered the areas uneconomic to service.

Mr Zimbago said the post bus concept addressed operational costs of mail delivery while meeting the company’s operating licence requirements of providing affordable universal services to all areas of the country.

Zimpost launched its first post bus in 2010 plying the Harare-Beitbridge route while the second was launched in May this year plying the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls route.

Globally the post bus strategy has been acknowledged as one of the most effective and reliable means of transport and cost-effective way of mail conveyance.

Of late, the company has been struggling as usage of physical mail, also known as snail mail, has significantly dropped due to use of the Internet and other technologies like mobile phones.

As a result Zimpost has had to diversify from its core business including venturing into real estate to stay afloat.