POSTAL DELIVERY WITHIN BARBADOS
From as early as the 1660s a mail delivery service was set up in Barbados under the control of the Postmaster General in London. Fast delivery vessels called Packets brought mail items from England into the Caribbean. The Packet Agency was located on Lancaster Street in Bridgetown. Citizens had to make their way, by foot, to pick up their postal packets.
On April 1, 1852, after many earlier attempts, the Inland Post Office was inaugurated in Barbados. A post office was established in each parish to provide mail services throughout the country and fifty (50) letter carriers were hired to provide an island-wide door to door delivery service. This method of delivery was introduced forty-five (45) years before it was introduced in England. Although not popular in many countries Barbados prides itself in maintaining this method of delivery for more than a century.
Community mail boxes, as a method of delivery, was recently introduced by the Barbados Postal Service as a response to the expansion of residential areas and business centres with no similar increase of delivery personnel. This method of delivery is used in “turnkey” developments. It ensures that Barbados meets its international delivery standard of J+2 [3 days] for the delivery of letter mail.
Private Letter Box rental is a delivery method used by individuals and businesses to have their mail stored at the post office, to be collected at their convenience. Private Letter Boxes are available at most post offices and are available in different sizes. High security boxes called Locked Bags are also available for use by organisations that require restricted access, by their staff, to the organisation’s mail.
Travelling to Barbados?
For a secure and reliable facility for the storage and pick-up of mail, then choose the Poste Restante service.
The mail is kept and collected at the Poste Restante window, at the General Post Office in Bridgetown. This service is suitable whether you are travelling by sea or air.
You can access your mail for a fee of BBD $3.00 each.
For more information contact us at sorting@bps.bb