A new overnight shipping service was announced at a press conference yesterday morning.

The joint effort between the Bermuda Post Office (BPO) and local shipping agency BEST, will make it easier for residents to receive their express freight.

The new service will give locals the option of picking up their package at any of the Island's satellite post offices or the main post office in Hamilton.

The move comes in response to a decrease in people utilising traditional mail services both locally and globally.

"For the past two to three decades the world's postal system has experienced annual declines in mail volumes," said Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and e-Commerce Michael Scott. "These declines are due in part to the advent of the Internet and electronic communications.

"Bermuda has been no exception and is now seeing a general decline in business and residential mail volumes in keeping with the global trends.

"The Bermuda Post Office therefore is committed to further developing other lines of revenue."

Minister Scott pointed out that the Bermuda Post Office's express parcel service, while cost effective, relies on a global network of postal agencies and commercial airplanes and is therefore unable to guarantee that packages will arrive on the Island in under three days. By partnering with BEST, the BPO will be able to utilise the shipping company's overnight shipping services from the US, UK and Canada.

In return BEST will utilise the BPO's local delivery services – allowing customers to pick up their freight from any of the Island's post offices.

Minister Scott added: "This joint venture offers our customers overnight delivery of goods from overseas through BEST and the option of collecting their packages from the General Post Office in Hamilton or the parish sub-post offices.

"Alternatively, customers can use the current Bermuda Post Office International Data Express and Express Parcel Services as more cost-effective delivery options."