Pursuant to Article 66,paragraph 1, item 5, in connection with Article 80, paragraph 5 of the Law on Postal Services ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 18/05),
the Republic Agency for Postal Services has adopted this
ORDINANCE
on the requirementsfor the provision
ofUniversal Postal Service
Article 1
This Ordinance on the requirements for the provision of universal postal service stipulates conditions to be fulfilled by the public postal operator or postal operator providing universal postal service based on license (hereinafter: postal service provider) in order to obtain license, in light of Article 80, paragraph 5, of the Law on Postal Services ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 18/05).
I. PROVISION OF UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICE
Postal Network
Article 2
Postal network is composed of postal network units and resources used by universal postal service providers while performing postal services.It is the universal service provider’s obligation to support and maintain the public postal network in a way that it can meet the requirements set in the Law on Postal Services, General Terms and Conditions for the provision of postal services and General Acts adopted by the Republic Agency for Postal Services (hereinafter: Agency),and which relate to the provision of universal service.
Universal service provider shall use the public postal network for the purpose of::
collection of postal items included in the universal postal service, from access pointson the entire territory of the Republic of Serbia;
routing and handlingof collected postal items from access points to sorting centres and delivery post offices;
delivery of those postal items to the indicated addresses.
Access points denote points of access, including postal mailboxes intended for the population, both in public places and universal service provider’s premises, where postal items can be collected from users of postal services.
Postal Network Units (Post Offices)
Article 3
Depending on the continuity and type of service,post offices can be permanent, seasonal and temporary.
Permanent post offices offer customers all postal services within the domain of universal service, continuously, whereas seasonal and temporary post offices canoffer a restricted range of services.
Seasonal post offices provide universal postal service during touristic seasons in touristic places receiving more than 6.000 tourists.
Universal service provider shall provide sufficient number of post offices and deploy themon the territory of the Republic of Serbia, according to the following criteria:
in inhabited areas with more than 1.300 households, if the distance from the administrative settlement borderto the nearest post officeis more than 2 km, organization of post office operation is mandatory. Exceptionally, in case of a cluster of inhabited areaswith more than 1.300 households and if the distance from the administrative cluster border to the nearest post office is more than 5 km, organization of post office operation is mandatory in the settlement representing the gravitational centre of that particularcluster of inhabited areas;
in inhabited areas between 3.000 and 12.000 households, post office operation is organizedper 3.000 households, provided that the distance from the planned location to the nearest post office is more than 2 km;
in inhabited areas between 12.000 and 36.000 households, post office operation is organized per 4.000 households, provided that the distance from the planned location to the nearest post office is more than 1,5 km;
in inhabited areas between 36.000 and 100.000 households, post office operation is organized per 6.000 households, provided that the distance from the planned location to the nearest post office is more than 1,25 km;
in inhabited areas with over 100.000 households, post office operation is organized per 7.500 households, provided that the distance from the planned location to the nearest post office is more than 1 km.
In certain regions, universal service provider can introduce an additional separate organizational type of post office, notwithstanding provisions from the previous paragraph of this Article.
Post Offices Working Hours
Article 4
Universal service provider shall ensure collection of postal items in post offices during the daytime, every business day, not less than 5 (five) days a week, except in case of national and religious holidays, force majeure and endangerment of workers’ health and safety.
Universal service provider may also designate which post office will be open on Saturday, Sunday and on holidays.
Working hours of post offices open to provide universal postal service shall be set by a special universal service provider’s act, which shall be approved by the Agency.
Notwithstanding provisions from the previous paragraph of this Article, permanent post offices shall operate at least 2 (two) hours a day.
Universal service provider can change working hours of post offices, but only following an economic analysis justifying such change,and shall inform the Agency thereof.
Conditions for closing of Post Offices
Article 5
If a need should arise for closing of a permanent post office, universal service provider shall inform the Agency thereof, in written form, indicating reasons for closureand describing the manner in which the provision of universal service will take place after the permanent post office is closed.
The Agency shall approve closing of a permanent post office only if ensured that, after the closing thereof, based on the gathered data, conditions for the provision of universal service in that area will not deteriorate.
Postal mailboxes
Article 6
Universal service provider shall provide certain number of postal mailboxes for collection of non-recorded letter post items, in accordance with reasonable demands of users of postal services and number of population.
Universal postal provider shall be assumed to have fulfilled requirements from the previous paragraph if respecting the following criteria for installation of postal mailboxes:
in rural inhabited areas with over 1000 residents, at least one postal mailbox shall be installed;
in inhabited areas with less than 1000 residents, one postal mailbox can be installed, provided that more than 5 (five) non-recorded letter post items on average are inserted in it a day;
in inhabited areas with not more than 200.000 residents, at least one postal mailbox shall be installedper 5.000 residents;
in inhabited areas with more than 200.000 residents, at least one postal mailbox shall be installed per 10.000 residents.
Postal mailboxes must be installed on all post offices buildings, and if that is impossible,in the immediate proximity thereof. It is recommended that postal mailboxes be installed at all important and most frequented spots in urban and rural settlements (bus and railway stations, municipal offices, public institutions, squares, touristic sites, community offices, etc.)
Number of postal mailboxes installed at post offices and main bus station shall be taken into account duringapplication of criteria for installation of postal mailboxes in inhabited areas.
Universal service provider shall make sure that postal mailboxes are emptied at least once a day, every business day, unless otherwise defined by the Agency, in accordance with Article 17, paragraph 3 of the Law on Postal Services. Universal service provider may decide that some postal mailboxes are to be emptied on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays as well.
Time of the last mailbox collection, for every business day, must be indicated on all postal mailboxes.
In case of curtailment of time for postal mailbox collection, universal service provider shall inform the Agency thereof, indicating reasons for such action.
At least once a year,universal service provider shall perform monitoring and analysis of the volume of inserted non-recorded letter post items into postal mailboxes. The analysis of the volume of non-recorded letterpost items inserted into postal mailboxes shall be submitted by the universal service provider to the Agency.
Conditions for installation, disassemblingof mailboxes, or moving them to another location
Article 7
If an analysis shows that additional postal mailboxes need to be installed, especially in rural areas, the Agency shall, in order to improve conditions for the provision of universal postal service,order the universal service provider to mountthe required number of postal mailboxes.
If, following an analysis and screening of the volume of inserted non-recorded letter post items into mailboxes, a need should arise for change of location or disassembling of postal mailboxes,the universal service provider shall inform the Agency thereof, in written form and indicating reasons for such change.
The Agency shall approve change of location or disassembling of postal mailboxes only if ensured that, based on the gathered data, conditions for the provision of universal service in that area will not deteriorate.
Postal mailboxes installed at post offices or in the proximity thereof, or at bus stations, shall not in any case be subject to change of location or disassembling.
II. FINAL PROVISIONS
Remedy of Non-Compliance
Article 8
If the universal service provider fails to perform universal postal service in accordance with the Law on Postal Services, General Terms and Conditions for the provision of postal services and this Ordinance,the Agency shall warn the universal service provider and orderit to remedy theidentifieddiscrepancy in its work.
Article 9
This Ordinance shall enter into force on the eight day following that of its publication in the „Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia“.
Republic Agency for Postal Services
Chairman of the Board
Dragan Đorđević
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