Maltapost confirms theft of mail items

Alfredo Agius

Oct 8th 2009, 16:20

I'm still waiting for an explanation for €1500+ worth of computer parts missing from an opened parcel back in January.

Peter Lustig

Oct 8th 2009, 07:28

This is one incident. I live here for some months now and even bigger mail was delivered appropriate! In Germany they changed staff and privatized Mail delivery since then many many errors occur. Here it is a stolen car which lead to problems! So, what's the problem? The delivery process itself seems to work since years/decades doesn't matter private or non private car used.

Rita Vassallo

Oct 8th 2009, 07:20

The postwoman in my area Attard uses her own car, what's new? And for compensation for the loss the clients have incurred be sure there will be none. And I am saying this through experience, my husband on several occasions had his mail damaged and bent although it clearly stated DO NOT BEND, when queried for compensation as the item was damaged and had to be re-ordered we were told this was not possible. How's that for service!

T Farrugia

Oct 8th 2009, 00:45

instead of all these people blaming the postal worker why don't you blame the thieves that stole the car???!!!!

A. Borg

Oct 7th 2009, 20:33

It's nothing out of the ordinary for a postman or post woman using their vehicles in the distribution of mail. Here in Sta.Lucia the post woman who has to cover all the area leave half the mail in her car while she delivers the other half. When ready she collects the other half from her vehicle and continue with her work. She has to be the daughter of Samson to carry the whole burden in one go!

Jeremy J Camilleri

Oct 7th 2009, 20:02

D Vella....I didn't call you a fool, but stated that writing in caps makes you look like one....

In a virtual world, its bad manners you see...........

As for the rest of your arguments...well..you remind me of a particular Maltese saying in which lettuce springs to mind.....

DVella

Oct 7th 2009, 16:59

@ Jeremy Camilleri

thank you for calling me a fool. Whilst we're on the subject, communications from people that are unable to write about a rather simple issue without being insulting towards others reflect really poorly on their manners and education!!!

D. A . Agius

Oct 7th 2009, 16:42

@Jeremy J Camilleri

You still have not answered any question about accountability. For deliveries, if Maltapost wants it can easily build up a decent small fleet of small cars/vans who can drop off people or mail. As far as i know, it used to have it as well.

Is the MCA complacent about staff delivring postal items using private cars?

In my eyes it could be like milkmen delivering milk from the boot of their trunks. What safety of the product would you have with that and what safety can Maltapost ensure us of if private vehicles are used? Once they leave its buildings, do other passengers board these cars? Could someone be pilfering through mail in private cars?

Toni Valletta

Oct 7th 2009, 14:26

Maltapost encourage postpersons to use their own transport by giving them an allowance ,this is done so that the company makes more profit on the workers and clients back.Maltapost before it went private used to hire a fleet of vans to transport the postpersons to their walks.How many of us know that mail for Rabat Mosta St Paul's Bay Mellieha and all their outskirts are delivered from San Gwann.How can a postperson goes on his walk if not by using his own means of transport to go to these areas.So before we judge the postperson.We better ask for a more serious administration and ask the Communications Authority to wake up and investigate the works of Maltapost and protect our postal service that used to be one of the best.

Kevin Sammut

Oct 7th 2009, 13:21

@ DVella
Postmen are given the choice to deliver mail with the companies motorbike or with their own car. Most postmen find it more comfortable and safer using their own cars especially in bad weather.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Oct 7th 2009, 13:04

D Vella...Fix your keyboard....writing in caps is awful and makes you look like a fool.

DVella

Oct 7th 2009, 12:39

Once again . . . WHAT WAS PEOPLE'S MAIL DOING IN AN UNAUTHORISED PRIVATE VEHICLE?????

M. Crocker

Oct 7th 2009, 10:43

Maltapost should look into its levels of security when delivering or collecting mail. Some time ago postmen collecting letters from Post Boxes used to empty the contents into a sack to be able to transport the mail securely. However it appears that this practice is no longer in use since I have witnessed postmen emptying the Post Box and carrying the numereous letters in their hands and placing them on the seat of their Maltapost van. It is not the first time that letters have been dropped and in one such instance during our last storm a letter was dropped and was carried away by the rain water down the street, and then one wonders what happens when a letter is not delivered!!

Jeremy J Camilleri

Oct 7th 2009, 08:32

Have you ever noticed those small red boxes, very similar to letter boxes in the street? They are called deposit boxes and are used by the postal operator to store excess mail so as to avoid back injuries. THis is also the reason why some operators use their cars.

In the past, whilst employed with Maltapost, I would occasionallycome across a number of these deposit boxes that where targeted and even forced open, despite them being made of metal, so that someone would get the packets inside. Luckily, nothing was ever stolen whilst was there, and Maltapost took the necessary steps to protect these boxes.

My point is, that a thief will stop at nothing to try and obtain something. A private car, or a safe deposit box would make no difference at all.

Actually, the Private car might prove to be safer as it is unmarked.

D. A . Agius

Oct 6th 2009, 22:54

@Jeremy J Camilleri

The fact that it is commonly done is the real issue! It is plain obvious that it is a RISK that Maltapost should not take!

Where is accountability in this country?

J.Duca

Oct 6th 2009, 22:21

This all started way back six or seven years ago when MaltaPost, to make more profit, decided to dismantle the Branch Post Offices in every village and town. Instead they came with the bright idea of creating Hubs. Thus postpersons from Mellieha , Rabat, Naxxar, B`Kara , etc, work in the same hub in Lija or San Gwann. This could never have happened if the poor postwoman have not had to travel from San Gwann to St. Paul`s Bay to start delivery.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Oct 6th 2009, 21:53

As usual, we have all the experts stating things they know nothing of.

Ifn fact it is common procedure for Maltapost employees to use their private car, and in fact, are paid to do so.

To state that just because they use their private car gives rise to abuse is just plain short sighted and stupid.

John Boy

Oct 6th 2009, 19:45

Lets hope that the letters of post stolen weren't all bills from the W&E department or any other bills asking for money,we might have to pay more energy bills to compensate..unless the culprit does the honoring thing and pay the bills personally.

D. A . Agius

Oct 6th 2009, 19:26

@ A. Zahra
I tell you what's the issue Mr. Zahra:
If I see a maltapost van stopping near a skip and an employee in uniform dumping anything, I might suspect the dumping was of postal items. One wouldn't know if this was done via a private car.
If the postman using his private vehicle decides to make 20 chores before delivering the letters, maltapost has no control. Neither does it have any control on whether the postal items are delivered on the day or not! Neither can it use tracking systems to actually know whether the postman has done his rounds or not.
The plain bottom truth is that such a system gives way to LOTS of possible risks which I'm sorry to say I wouldn't want my postal items to go through.
I've already seen Postal workers making use of their vehicles, in one instance he postman just rang the bell once, posed immediately a noice saying they did no find me a home and rushed away as s/he was in a hurry to go elsewhere. This does not appear to me to be good service. If you think it is, you need to do some good thinking!

A.Zahra

Oct 6th 2009, 18:53

There is nothing mickey mouse about postpersons using their private transport to collect mail from the area postoffice and take it to the town or village which is their beat. Maltapost allows them to do so. Post persons do not hail from the towns or villages they deliver mail in. Why must readers always adopt a negative attitude to reports such as this? Please Mickey Mouse was neither stupid nor ignorant and neither did he have an attitude.

M. Zammit

Oct 6th 2009, 18:21

Perhaps you failed to consider that the employee might be using her private car to deliver articles as Maltapost does not provide adequate transport?

Charles Zammit

Oct 6th 2009, 17:35

Incidents related to mishandling of mail items have become quite common. Maltapost seems to think that as long as the case is reported to the communications authority and the police it has discharged its responsibilities. When are we to expect some sober administrative practices in this vital service?

J Falzon

Oct 6th 2009, 17:13

Sorry but I think that you are all misunderstanding the report.

It seems to me that the postal worker may have needed to take the rest of the day off and therefore took the postal items home in her car so that she could deliver them the next day with the rest of the post.

That makes perfect sense to me, given that we are living in a Mickey Mouse country .

Gerard Cassar

Oct 6th 2009, 16:23

Using private property for official duties should never be recommended. A postal worker should never leave postal articles out of sight.Hence using private car is a great risk unless it is supervised or actually handled by the postal employee.
The postal authorities should provide small boxes on wheels as is done in Germany and other countries for the distribution of mail particularly bulky mail such as commercial literature, circulars, government notices. It is so to say ridiculous to see a postal employee delivering mail while having a hand full of bundles up to the eyes covering the face.

D. A . Agius

Oct 6th 2009, 16:11

"in a postwoman's private car, which was stolen"

And what exactly was this mail doing there????

Joseph Scerri

Oct 6th 2009, 16:10

Good one...and will the victims be compensated for the loss they have incurred? Or will they have to be tortured through the bureaucratic procedures (and tactics) used by Maltapost??? I think that it's about time proper monitoring infrastructures are set up in this country prior to accidents occurring...but as usual in Malta nothing is done unless something tragic happens!

John Azzopardi

Oct 6th 2009, 15:52

What was confidential work-related material doing in the private car of the postwoman? What incredible lack of control!