The Institute of Couriers (IoC) has called on e-commerce companies to ask their customers to mark their doors with a message: “I am at home, please knock and leave goods outside”.



The measure is being requested to allow for safe social distancing measures to be undertaken by couriers.

IoC chairman Carl Lomas said: “We are entering a period of finest hour for final mile delivery to support stay at home, self-isolation. Our sector is being tested beyond any peak we have seen. We are asking the public to mark their doors and help our sector complete the delivery without contact.”

Tracey Worth, chief executive at the IOC, said: “Couriers that were focused on business to business deliveries have resource availability to deliver to the home door. The IOC are working to link resource to need across the sector. – Essential final mile after the prime ministers’ stay at home speech is about food, medical, prescription and work at home goods.

“Express courier supporting the client chain has proven resilience to deliver; from national networks to regional and local owner-operator couriers.”

The IoC is also calling on the government to supply hygiene supplies to help its members.

Richard England, chair of owner-operator group at the IOC, said: “We need the government to gain access to hygiene supplies to keep our drivers safe on the front line. Finding adequate supplies is very difficult currently.

“Companies with sign-written vans or business accounts in a courier company’s name could have priority access to fuel if supply chains break down. The IOC key worker status and identification with company ID badge a possible answer to policing this.

“News on funding for business continuity and wage guarantees has been a good, but we now need practical reality, advice and procedures to put this in place.”