BT Payphones (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

BT Payphones

August 1, 2008 12:00 AM
By Kirsty Williams AM in Brecon and Radnor Express

If you believe BT then everybody in Wales owns a mobile phone, every where you go there is network coverage and mobile batteries never run out. If you believe BT then there is clearly no need for payphones in Wales. Undoubtedly this is not the case. There are still large sections of the population, particularly the elderly, who do not own a mobile, there are vast areas, particularly rural ones, where there is little or no network coverage and batteries do run out at the most inconvenient times.

Despite these facts BT is currently undertaking a two strand programme of payphone removal: one which will remove payphones where there is another within 400m. The other will consult on the closure of 190 payphones in Powys, 94 of which are in Brecon and Radnorshire and which BT claim are 'little used'. I firmly believe that BT must consider the removal of phone boxes on issues of public safety and social inclusion and not purely on usage, economic viability and the assumption that they are replaceable by mobile phones.

Notices have been placed within these boxes on or before 8th June 2008, when the formal consultation period started. The consultation period will close on 06 September 2008 and BT states that payphones will "normally be removed as soon as practicable after the consultation period has ended".

In the last 12 months BT made profits of over £2.5bn. I cannot believe that they are looking to cut so many payphones across Wales with profits like these and with their obligation to provide a universal public payphone service. Phone boxes in isolated areas may be used infrequently but their availability can be a lifeline in emergency situations. Not everyone has a mobile phone and there is poor coverage in many rural areas, aside from the fact that batteries can loose their charge where ever you are. If someone has broken down in their car or suffered an accident whilst out walking or cycling they may need access to a payphone to call for help. In urban areas as well as rural statistics show that many calls made from payphones are to crisis organisations such as child line and domestic abuse help lines This is often because children and women fear their landlines or mobiles are being checked by abusers. Even if they are only used once or twice a week payphones still have the potential to save lives.

I have written to all community councils in B & R and I would also welcome your comments on the proposals for your local payphones as I intend to collate as many local opinions on individual payphones as possible so as to make a strategic and effective consultation response to BT which refers to the merits of particular payphones rather than calling for all payphones to remain untouched without reference to specific importance. You can also sign up to my petition at http://kirstywilliams.org.uk/petitions/. You may also wish to contribute directly to the consultation at: BT Payphones, PP 05A23, Delta Point, Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 2YZ; or btp.authorisation.team@bt.com so please be aware - check your local payphone for a closure notice. If it has one and you object to its removal make sure you act against this latest attempt to remove services from our community.