Joshua Searle

Royal Mail will shift second‑class and non‑priority letter deliveries to an every‑other‑day schedule by December, following Ofcom’s reform of the Universal Service Obligation. First‑class mail will continue six days a week, while delivery performance targets for both classes are being reduced. The changes aim to address sharply declining letter volumes and reduce operational costs, with estimated annual savings up to £425 million. Ofcom stresses the reforms are necessary for service sustainability and will monitor Royal Mail’s implementation, while also reviewing stamp affordability and planning a public consultation.

Over 10,000 UK motorists were penalised for driving defective vehicles last year, with two‑thirds of cases involving tyre issues, according to data obtained by the RAC from the DVLA. RAC expert Jack Halstead warned that bald tyres and other mechanical faults significantly increase road danger. Defective steering and brakes accounted for more than 3,000 offences, each carrying three penalty points, and tyre offences may incur fines of up to £2,500 per tyre. The RAC cited declining traffic police numbers as a factor enabling more unroadworthy vehicles to go undetected, urging drivers to use reminders and mobile mechanic services to keep vehicles properly maintained.