CEN/TR 15735:2008
(Main)Postal services - Quality of service - Distance to access points
Postal services - Quality of service - Distance to access points
This Technical Report takes into account the existing systems for measuring access to postal services and the targets that are already in use in member states. To get an understanding of the existing systems regarding population coverage, a questionnaire entitled “Methodology for the Measurement of Distance to postal Access Points” was circulated to postal operators and postal regulators (see Annex A).
Postalische Dienstleistungen - Dienstqualität - Entfernung zum Zugangspunkt
Services postaux - Qualité de service - Qualité de l'accès aux services postaux
Poštne storitve - Kakovost storitve - Kakovost dostopa do poštnih storitev
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2008
Poštne storitve - Kakovost storitve - Kakovost dostopa do poštnih storitev
Postal services - Quality of service - Distance to access points
Postalische Dienstleistungen - Dienstqualität - Entfernung zum Zugangspunkt
Services postaux - Qualité de service - Qualité de l'accès aux services postaux
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 15735:2008
ICS:
03.240 Poštne storitve Postal services
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
TECHNICAL REPORT
CEN/TR 15735
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
October 2008
ICS 03.240
English Version
Postal services - Quality of service - Distance to access points
Services postaux - Qualité de service - Qualité de l'accès Postalische Dienstleistungen - Dienstqualität - Entfernung
aux services postaux zum Zugangspunkt
This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 16 March 2008. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 331.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36 B-1050 Brussels
© 2008 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 15735:2008: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
Foreword.3
Introduction .4
1 Scope .5
2 Main issues concerning the measurement of network density.5
2.1 General.5
2.2 Legislation .10
2.3 Measurement.10
2.4 Available data.10
2.5 Reservations .11
3 Conclusion .11
Annex A (informative) Questionnaire regarding a methodology for the Measurement of Distance
to postal Access Points .12
Annex B (informative) Questionnaire results .23
Annex C (informative) Analysis of national legislations .34
Foreword
This document (CEN/TR 15735:2008) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 331 “Postal
services”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).
Introduction
Article 3 of the Postal Directive requires Member States to ensure that the density of access points (postal
outlets and collection letterboxes) takes account of the needs of users – it contains relatively general
requirements relating to access to Universal Services.
Consequently, Member States have taken very different approaches in defining minimum standards
concerning the density of access points. The most important types of requirements that are imposed on
Universal Service Providers are listed below:
Minimum number: the Universal Service Provider must maintain at least x postal outlets (or collection
letterboxes).
Maximum distance: a postal outlet (or letterbox) must not be further away than x kilometres from any
home or business location. Usually this requirement does not apply to isolated houses in rural areas but
only within populated areas (or similarly defined geographic areas).
Town size: a postal outlet (or letterbox) is mandatory in each municipality exceeding a population of x. In
addition, some countries require the Universal Service Provider to maintain one postal outlet per x
inhabitants in towns.
One outlet per municipality: at least one postal outlet (or letterbox) must be operated in each municipality.
The situation with regard to access conditions and Quality of Service does differ from country to country.
Access conditions refer to the service points of the postal network, like street letter-boxes, post offices and
other outlets that provide postal services. The regulatory requirements with regard to the density of these
access points vary from ‘nonexistent’ to detailed guidelines on the location of access points with regard to
density, distance, population or community related criteria.
Even in Member States where no specific requirements regarding the density of postal outlets exist, it appears
that politics, often locally, strongly oppose Universal Service Providers that plan to close postal outlets, thus
adding a soft component to the universal service obligation.
1 Scope
This Technical Report takes into account the existing systems for measuring access to postal services and the
targets that are already in use in member states. To get an understanding of the existing systems regarding
population coverage, a questionnaire entitled “Methodology for the Measurement of Distance to postal Access
Points” was circulated to postal operators and postal regulators (see Annex A).
2 Main issues concerning the measurement of network density
2.1 General
This report is based on two data sources, the results of the questionnaire (Annex B) and the legislative
framework for the density of access points to the postal network (Annex C).
An overview of the main issues raised in the legislation and in the questionnaire is given in the following table.
The table is structured in four main parts:
Legislation on Access-Network Density;
Measurement of Access-Network Density;
Available Data necessary for Density Measurement;
Reservations about Distance Measurement.
A tick mark is given for each European country in which the issue is relevant or dealt with.
LEGISLATION
Table 1 — Responses on questions about the distance to postal access points
Geographical
Unit I X X X X
National
Geographical
Unit II X
Regions
Geographical
Unit III X X X X X X X
Local Units
Postman
"Service to
Customer" X X X X X X X
Equal to fixed
Access Point
Population
Density I X X X X X
Urban Areas
Population
Density II X X X X
Rural Areas
Austria
Belgium
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Sweden
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
MEASUREMENT
Indicators
Used I
Absolute X X X
Number of
Access Points
Indicators
Used II
% of
X X X X X X X
Population
based on
Distance
Measurement
System I
X X X X X X X X
System
already in
place
Measurement
System II X X X X X X X
Incl. Postbox
Measurement
System III
Incl. Outlet X X X X X X
with full Postal
Service
Measurement
System IV
X X X
In regular
intervals
Distance I
X X X X X X X X
Straight Line
DATA
Distance II
Allowance for
X X X X X X X
Natural
Barriers
Distance III
X X X X X X X X X
Other
Non Distance
I
X X X X X X
Population
Density
Non Distance
II
X X X X X X
Geographical
Information
Data
available I
Population X X X X X X X X X X
Density
(around AP)
Data
available II
X X X X X X X X X X
Population
Density (PCA)
Data
available III
Population X X X X X X X X X X
Density
(geographic)
RES.
Detailed
Reservations
About
X X X X X X
distance-
based
measurement
2.2 Legislation
Eight countries provided information on national legislation on access-network density.
The first three categories in the table indicate on which geographical unit(s) the national legislation is based:
National, Regional or Local.
Local solutions for the access to the postal network often include ‘Mobile Postmen’ who provide access by
‘Service-to-Customer’ instead of the usual ‘Customer-to-Service’ approach connected with a visit to the post
office. The questionnaire gives additional information on other countries where mobile postman are an issue
(three countries).
Sometimes legislation differentiates areas with different population densities. Specialized legislation may be
available for Urban and Rural Areas.
The indicators for access-network density that are used within the legislation fall into two main groups:
absolute numbers for a ‘minimum of postal access points’ and minimum percentage of the ‘population within a
given distance to the postal access point’.
2.3 Measurement
Information on measurement is based on the questionnaire responses. Fifteen countries reported if any
system for distance measurement is already in place or not (see question 3.1, Annex A). Each of the
measurement systems in place is based on the access point “Post Office”.
It is stated if the measurement system includes (or should include, if not installed) post-boxes and postal
outlets with the full range of postal services (see question 4.2.1, Annex A).
Six countries gave additional information about the timing of the measurement, if it is done on a regular basis
or by demand (question 4.4.5).
Thirteen countries indicated if the concept of ‘distance’ is part of access-network density measurement. It is
denoted if distance is measured as a straight-line measurement or if any other distance measure is or would
be applied, for example distance by road or distance in minutes by car (question 4.1.1).
All countries are listed, which reported that an allowance is or would be made for natural barriers like
mountains or rivers (question 4.1.2).
In addition to distance related measures other indicators are used as well (question 4.1.1). These mainly fall
into two categories: firstly, access is related to the population density in the area, in which the access point is
located. The areas are mostly defined by postal or administrative criteria (certain postcode-areas or
municipalities).
Secondly, access is related to geographical information (location of access point / customer, geographical
areas, census based areas). Geographical information is increasingly drawn from electronic Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) which allows for a very detailed geographical stratification of the country.
Both categories may overlap when the population density is available for geographically defined areas.
2.4 Available data
Even in cases where no measurement is installed yet, it is of interest, if any information is available that could
be used for this purpose. Fourteen countries gave information on the data available in their country, which in
most cases consists of population density data.
Population density figures may be available for any defined area around a fixed access point (question
4.2.3.c), for a set of defined postcode-areas (question 4.2.3.b) or for geographically defined areas.
2.5 Reservations
Not all countries felt comfortable with a standard, which is based mainly on the concept of distance as the
indicator for access-network density as they view the requirements for the access network in a broader
context, which can be seen in the answers to chapter 5 of the questionnaire.
All answers to the questionnaire or additional comments that go into further detail are incorporated at Annex C.
3 Conclusion
There are many different method
...
Questions, Comments and Discussion
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