Changing Service Provision in Rural Areas and the Possible Impact on Older People: A Case Example of Compulsory Post Office Closures and Outreach Services in England

Hamilton, Charlotte

doi:10.1017/s1474746415000391

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…De-population and rural facility decline is the topic in [14], while the strategic planning of the postal network in rural communities is addressed in [15][16][17]. The EU Directive [6] emphasizes the importance of such areas: "Rural postal networks, in, inter alia, mountain and island regions, play an important role in integrating businesses into the national/global economy and in maintaining cohesion in social and employment terms.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Mostarac

Kavran

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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The development of a sustainable postal system depends on the sustainability of its postal network, especially the organization of the postal access points. Postal service providers around the world face great challenges due to changes in the service trends and in consumer behavior. In this paper, the authors argue the importance of the postal network and its significance in rural areas. Methodologies including advanced search algorithms such as brute force and simulated annealing are proposed for best determining the possible locations of postal access points with no or minimal decrease in service accessibility. To the best of our knowledge, these algorithms are scarcely used for determining postal service accessibility. The results show that the decline of the postal office could significantly affect service accessibility. An analysis of the numbers of access points and their impacts on the postal network is provided, as well as the scenario of an additional access point. This methodology could help postal service providers to better plan network organization and resources. For service users, the application of the methodology adds to better service accessibility that considers the distances traveled.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Mostarac

Kavran

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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“…In the paper by Hamilton (2016) the effect of change in the postal network is analysed, particularly the impact on older people as a key customer group of the post office, overrepresented in rural areas. Over the timeframe of 2000-2013, 54.2% of the closures were in urban areas compared to 45.8% in rural areas.…”

Section: The Different Approaches In Optimization Of the Postal Network And Its Impact On The Local Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Model for Public Postal Network Reorganization Based on Dea and Fuzzy Approach

Milutinović¹,

Marković

Stanivuković

et al. 2020

Transport

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One of the most important segments in management of Universal Service Providers (USPs) is reaching the decisions concerning changes in the postal network infrastructure. USPs decide on such matters based on an analysis of financial indicators and defined qualitative parameters in accordance with the international regulations and obligations imposed by a competent regulatory agency. In this paper, the previously known method to analyse the existing postal network and define the minimal number of Postal Network Units (PNU) is implemented and upgraded by a new approach based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and fuzzy logic. The final aim of the proposed new approach is to determine which of the considered PNU should be closed or reorganized having in mind the minimization of negative effects, both financial and social. The proposed model gives the indices for all considered postal branches, which allows the decision-maker to rank the importance of each unit. The proposed model is a business intelligence tool, which replaces a multidisciplinary team composed from managers of the company and policymakers from both the postal sector as well as a sustainable rural development sector in reaching an important decision on changing the postal network. This decision may be considered as extremely complex since it should sublimate the opposed criteria that relate to the business success of the company, state regulations and sustainability of the local community. The indices obtained in the proposed method exactly include the mentioned three categories. The authors demonstrate the applicability of the suggested methodology based on the real data acquired in a district of the Serbia, i.e. in a regional organizational entity of the USP and provide the analysis of the results reached for the rural delivery post offices.

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“…This has especially disproportionate effects on certain groups, such as persons without a private car or driving licence. [14,15]. Reducing the risk of social exclusion, however, tends to make car ownership a necessity [2,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Sustainable and Flexible Rural–Urban Connectivity through Complementary Mobility Services

Bauchinger

Reichenberger²,

Goodwin‐Hawkins

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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Transport can play a key role in mitigating climate change, through reducing traffic, emissions and dependency on private vehicles. Transport is also crucial to connect remote areas to central or urban areas. Yet, sustainable and flexible transport is among the greatest challenges for rural areas and rural–urban regions. Innovative transport concepts and approaches are urgently needed to foster sustainable and integrated regional development. This article addresses challenges of sustainability, accessibility, and connectivity through examining complementary systems to existing public transport, including demand-responsive transport and multimodal mobility. We draw upon case studies from the Metropolitan Area of Styria, Ljubljana Urban Region and rural Wales (GUSTmobil, REGIOtim, EURBAN, Bicikelj, Bwcabus, Grass Routes). In-depth analysis through a mixed-methods case study design captures the complexity behind these chosen examples, which form a basis for analysing the effects of services on accessibility for different groups, connectivity to public transport and usability as a “first and last mile” feeder. We further explore the weaknesses of complementary transport systems, including legal, organisational and financial barriers, and offer potential solutions to structure and communicate complementary transport systems to improve access and use. Looking ahead, we use the case studies to anticipate innovative, sustainable “mobility as a service” (MaaS) solutions within and between urban and rural areas and consider how future public policy orientations and arrangements can enable positive change. A main concern of our article and the contribution to scientific literature is through exploring the benefit of well-established multi-level governance arrangements when introducing smaller-scale mobility solutions to improve rural–urban accessibility. It becomes clear that not a one-size-fits-all model but placed-based and tailored approaches lead to successful and sustainable concepts.

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Changing Service Provision in Rural Areas and the Possible Impact on Older People: A Case Example of Compulsory Post Office Closures and Outreach Services in England

Cited by 6 publications

References 16 publications

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

A Model for Public Postal Network Reorganization Based on Dea and Fuzzy Approach

Developing Sustainable and Flexible Rural–Urban Connectivity through Complementary Mobility Services

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