Jharkhand has become the first state in eastern India to launch the logistics postal van service for parcels weighing 35 kg and above.
Talking to FE over phone, Anil Kumar, director of postal services, Ranchi, said: “Parcels weighing more than 35 kg will be booked under the logistics postal service.”
According to BK Nag, superintendent, post office, Jamshedpur, the service, launched by the postal department for the first time in eastern India, will initially be available once a week between Jamshedpur & Ranchi and Bokaro & Dhanbad and vice versa. The service will later be extended to other cities of Jharkhand.
The service is a door-to-door one?parcels will be collected from sender’s home and delivered to addressee’s premises. The postal department has, to begin with, commenced the service with the help of a couple of vans.
The fleet size would go up subsequently as demand for it picks up, Nag said.
The postal department is said to be in negotiation with Tata Motors for hiring, on a lease basis, around 1,200 vans for strengthening its fleet. Jamshedpur has been chosen for the launch as it is the industrial hub of Jharkhand.
When asked about charges, Nag said, “We haven’t fixed the rate yet, but it will certainly be competitive.”
Kumar, however, is hopeful about the service becoming popular gradually as the department is ready to restrict its profit margin to only 15%.