Postal delay: Posties to deliver mail by foot or bike as Paxster buggies undergo mass audit

The 400-strong fleet of electric Paxter buggies used by NZ Post has been halted after a maintenace issue was found. Photo / File

The entire 400-strong fleet of electric yellow and red postal buggies has been removed from the streets after a recent audit uncovered a maintenance issue.

Delays of a few days were expected for all mail delivered by the Paxster buggies as posties ride bikes or walk their usual mail routes.

NZ Post chief operating officer Brendon Main said a fleet audit had identified a maintenance issue and each Paxster needed to be individually checked.

"NZ Post has temporarily removed our electric Paxsters from service today as a precautionary measure.

"As checks are completed, we expect to see Paxsters returned to service progressively over the next couple of days or, where they need repairing, as soon as possible."

Main said posties would use bicycles, e-bikes or walk where possible. Normal services will resume in rounds across the country as each Paxster passes its check or is repaired – so delays could differ in different locations.

"It's too soon to tell yet exactly how long delays could be, but at this stage we are estimating initial delays of about 1-3 days."

Main said the delays would not impact items delivered by courier.

Capable of speeds of up to 45km/h, the golf cart-style delivery vehicles began a nationwide roll-out in 2019.

According to data released by NZ Post under the Official Information Act, Paxsters were involved in 30 crashes in 2019.

A spokesperson for NZ Post said the recent audit of the Paxster buggies was not related to the death in December 2021 of postal worker Sam Kelman.

Kelman, 31, died after the Paxster buggy he was operating reportedly rolled down a bank in Tawa.