The Royal Mail said that its postal workers were not able to fly England flags on delivery vehicles during the World Cup in Russia.
The UK’s national postal service provider also stated that the ban should of applied to lorries, trollies, vans and even bikes.
The Royal Mail said it came to this decision due to the potential hazard that the flags could cause to other road users. Critics, however, have labelled the company’s decision as unpatriotic and petty, with people on social media saying it was health and safety gone mad.
A complete ban on flags was not implemented across the whole company, with flags being allowed to be flown in offices. The company was keen to stress that this was not a new policy and was in place during previous World Cups tournaments.
Potential Hazard
According to The Independent newspaper, the company released a statement saying that flags should not be flown as the Royal Mail does not want to cause harm to either the general public or their employees. It added that no other flag or insignia could be put alongside the brand of the Royal Mail. It added that flags placed onto vehicles could obscure the driver’s view and could pose a hazard to other road users if they were lost.
There are lots of different items and accessories that need to be added to vehicles on the road and within the warehouse especially when it comes to safety so as long as items like Buggy Whips that can be sourced from sites like wisuk.co.uk/buggy-whip can still be used alongside the flags then it shouldn’t be a hazard.
Staff Reaction
Staff have branded the action by Royal Mail as “bonkers”. One postman in south-west London argued other vehicles were able to drive around with flags on without causing accidents and he didn’t see why Royal Mail vehicles were any different, adding that he thought the action would anger many Royal Mail drivers. The ban will affect the whole 125,000 delivery employees who work for Royal Mail.
Labour MP John Spellar entered the debate, calling the action “absolutely astonishing” and saying that the bosses of Royal Mail should join with their staff in supporting England during the tournament.
Of course. this action won’t affect other couriers in and around England, they will still be able to fly the flag for England.
Driving with an England flag is perfectly legal provided it does not obscure the driver or another driver’s road vision. In addition, it should be securely fixed to the vehicle.