Future of Payphones: Eleanor Burnham AM calls for people to "have your say" (Eleanor Burnham )

Cymraeg
English

Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

Future of Payphones: Eleanor Burnham AM calls for people to "have your say"

August 3, 2005 4:30 PM

Future of Payphones:

Eleanor Burnham AM calls for people to "have your say"

Eleanor Burnham AM has appealed for local people to have their say in a new round of consultation launched by BT over the future of local payphones in North Wales.

Mrs Burnham issued the appeal after BT proposed cutting 1 in 5 payphones in Wales.

BT says that there are currently 1355 payphones in North Wales of which 264 will go. Rural areas will be affected the worst.

Launching the appeal to constituents Mrs Burnham said, "BT is at present obliged to provide access to public payphones to meet the needs of customers. I am fully aware of the commercial pressures the company face and understand that their payphone division is under tight financial pressures. However, I am keen to her what local people want and feel about BTs latest proposals. I am appealing for people to contact me with their views."

BT states in it's advice to Mrs Burnham that the increase in mobile phone ownership has led to the number of calls made form BT payphones halving n the last four years. There are 66,000 public payphones in the UK and the majority, over two thirds, of these no longer cover their costs.

Mrs Burnham added, "In the last round of consultation the proposal were fixed on removing payphones altogether. This did present a problem in providing a way of contacting emergency services, particularly in rural areas and where mobile phone reception is patchy. BT now are proposing to remove payphones where they are little used (including emergency calls) and remove cash calls from some that have been identified for community need, but need to remain in place."

People wishing to contact Eleanor Burnham AM should email Eleanor.burnham@wales.gov.uk or go to her web page http://eburnham.org.uk/

DIWEDD

NOTES:

Letter regarding the new round of consultation were sent to Assembly members by BT dated July 18th, 2005.

www.bt.com