PROPOSED ROYAL MAIL SERVICE REFORMS – Royal Mail could reduce the number of days it delivers letters from six per week to three or five

Royal Mail could reduce the number of days it delivers letters from six per week to five or even three, under proposals to reform the service.

A report from the regulator said the postal service was “getting out of date” and action needed to be taken.

Ofcom said another option would be extending the number of days it takes for most letters to be delivered.

Royal Mail said its current delivery network was “not sustainable” and that reform was “urgently needed”.

The company, which was split from the Post Office and privatised a decade ago, is legally obliged to deliver a one-price-goes-anywhere universal service, which means it has to deliver letters six days per week, Monday to Saturday, and parcels Monday to Friday.

In recent years, the volume of letters being posted has plummeted, with half the number being sent compared to 2011 levels, while parcel deliveries have become more popular – and more profitable.

Royal Mail’s performance has also deteriorated, with customers regularly not receiving post on time.