Given the deteriorating levels of USPS service nationwide, these recent developments represent just the latest in an endless line of criticism directed at the embattled agency.
Just a week before the congressional delegation’s letter, the USPS stated that it needs to trim more costs from its operations in order to improve its shaky financial footing.
To accomplish that, the postal agency wants to overhaul its delivery logistics. That’s a nice way of saying that some customers will likely see a slowdown in their mail delivery.
The new plan, which will be filed with USPS’ regulatory commission, comes about three years after the mail service embarked on a 10-year plan to stop the hemorrhaging of billions in losses, which will hopefully put the agency on the path to profitability.
The plan, implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, also came with slower delivery standards, with the service guaranteeing five-day delivery instead of its previous three-day delivery window.
With the proposed changes, the delayed service could be felt by rural areas, and for mail that needs to travel longer distances, DeJoy told the Washington Post.
“At the end of the day, I think some portion of the mail showing up 12 hours later, I think it’s a price that had to be paid for letting this place be neglected,” DeJoy told the Post.