Roadside post boxes are slowly disappearing from Wanganui streets.
Gonville man Stan James noticed the box near his home on Alma Rd was removed during work on the street's footpath this summer.
"When they were doing the road and footpath up, I saw a truck come and take it away," he said.
Mr James said neighbours had assumed it would be replaced when the work was finished.
But New Zealand Post confirmed yesterday that the box would not be replaced because of a decline in use. Five were removed last year.
"It's a bit of a nuisance, but it's not a biggie," Mr James said. "It's just a matter of interest. It just seems strange because it's a main road."
A New Zealand Post spokesperson said overall mail volume was falling fast.
"This has led to a drop in mail being lodged in post boxes."
New Zealand Post continually reviews the number of letters posted in each box.
"When a box is identified for removal, a notice is usually placed on it for one month stating our intention to remove the box and asking for feedback before a final decision is made," the spokesperson said.
"The post box at 47 Alma Rd was removed for footpath repairs in response to a request from the council. Later, a decision was made not to replace the box due to low mail volumes, but because the box had already been removed, we were not able to follow our usual notification process."
In May last year post boxes were removed from Karaka St, College St, Rangitikei St, Gonville Ave and Bell St.