Czech Post has closed its branch in the centre of Hradec Králové on ČSA Avenue and replaced it with a branch in the building of the ČSOB regional centre in the Aldis zone. After last year’s closure of six branches to save money, Česká pošta still has eight branches in Hradec Králové. Compared to the original branch on ČSA Avenue, the post office in the ČSOB building is wheelchair accessible, has a call system and has five instead of three counters. said Ivo Vysoudil, spokesman of the post office.
The modern building of the regional headquarters of ČSOB was opened in the Aldis congress centre zone on the Elbe riverbank in September 2021. It was already planned at that time that it would house a branch of the Czech Post. Around 1,000 people work in the CSOB headquarters building. Roughly half of the staff are employees of the ČSOB client centre, which includes a call centre.
Czech Post had a leased branch on ČSA Avenue. It ceased operations there on Wednesday 27 March. ČSOB and Česká pošta are partners in the provision of banking and insurance services of the ČSOB Group, based on a ten-year contract concluded in 2018.
Česká pošta intends to sell the buildings of the former branches in Hradec Králové. Currently, the Post Office has included the former branches in Věkoší and in Fráni Šrámka and Milady Horákové streets in the electronic auction. In total, it is demanding at least CZK 26.2 million for them. The Post Office is also preparing the former branch in Štefánikova Street for sale with a price of at least CZK 10.5 million.
The Czech Post in Hradec Králové originally planned to close seven post offices. However, the Hradec town hall negotiated to keep the branch on Benešova třída in Moravské Předměstí. Last April’s agreement included the transfer of the post office in Nové Hradec Králové to the Posta Partner programme. This has not happened yet.
The Post Office closed 300 of the country’s 3,200 branches and laid off 1,500 people in the middle of last year due to cost-cutting measures.
Source: CTK
Photo: hradeckralove.org
