New next-day
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service by NCL _AST Monday a new next-day ollection and delivery service vas introduced by National 2arriers Ltd.
The system guarantees the :ollection of consignments up o 1,000kg (191cwt) from an irea bounded by Enfield, Ruisip, Walton on Thames, Swaney, Dartford and the South 3ank of the Thames and their lelivery into the London postal irea the next day.
Collection and delivery in he London postal area will .1so be effected on a next-day rasis.
The service is designed nainly for companies manuacturing in the outer area zone B) and supplying the ..ondon area (zone A). Traffic !ollected in the London area viii also be delivered to points vithin that area the next day, iut traffic from the inner area o the outer area may take 48 tours.
Internal traffic in the outer .rea could also take 48 hours.
Rates for the next-day ser,ice compare favourably with iostal rates, but Mr J. Flaniery, NCL's southern terriorial manager, told CM: "We are not deliberately going after Post Office traffic — we are providing a next-day, fully documented service and expect to generate new traffic."
NCL's rate for a 10kg (231b) parcel is £1.23; the equivalent postal rate is £1.42.
NCL is not to purchase any additional vehicles for the service, nor will it be changing the type of vehicle in use in central London.
Next day consignments, which will pass through its depots at Paddington, Kings Cross and Bricklayers Arms, will be carried with other NCL consignments, "unless there is a bulk consignment for one customer or a heavy concentration of next-day parcels for a particular postal area," said Mr Flannery.
The scheme is eventually to incorporate Essex "when certain constraints have been overcome." It is understood that the heavy volume of traffic on All, Al2 and A13 is the main constraint. Mr Brian Riley, the district manager, told CM: "We will nevertheless attempt to service that area —zone C—in the same way.