I suspect that a driving force of the change is privatisation. Before, RM used to be a public service first and foremost, but privatisation basically changed the rules so that the primary goal is to make money (delivering the service is merely the means to this), just like any other for-profit company.
It in no ways surprises me that service levels have dropped (only one delivery per day, etc.), as RM has to try and make money and be competitive against the competition even with their hands effectively tied behind their back by being held to a higher standard than the competition (by the universal service obligation, etc.).