Postal Service proposes cutting Saturday delivery

The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission is asking members of the public for their input on a plan to eliminate Saturday delivery.

The Postal Service is required to ask the commission for an advisory opinion on the proposal. Elimination of Saturday service would require approval by Congress.

"The Commission is the watchdog agency that determines if the Postal Service meets its Universal Service Obligation to the nation. Our process will provide multiple opportunities for the public to be heard and for all the facts to be considered before the Commission issues its Advisory Opinion," said Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway. "The ball is in our court now. There will be no final decision until the record is complete."

The public is invited to share their views via the Commission web site, www.prc.gov, by clicking the "contact PRC" tab to access a convenient online customer service form. To participate more formally in the process and to file documents to be included in the online public record, interested parties should click the "Filing Online" tab and follow the appropriate instructions.

The elimination of one mail delivery day is not a new concept. It has been proposed many times and was the subject of extensive congressional review in 1977 and 1980. In 1983, the Congress adopted specific language requiring the Postal Service to maintain six-day delivery. The commission's opinion will be considered by Congress as it reviews the Postal Service's request to change the law.