British Telecom has recently announced proposals to cull around 3,000 of its payphones because they are little used and no longer financially viable. The majority appear to be in remote rural areas, and the Ramblers' Association (RA) believes that this could be a very real concern for those walking or cycling in the countryside.
The nationwide cull has already begun, prompting the RA to ask walkers to keep an eye out for payphones that have been "tagged" for removal, and contact the relevant local authority if they believe the phone's removal would increase safety fears for members of the public.
The RA's main concern is that removal of pay phones in rural areas could compromise peoples' safety, in an emergency phones can be a matter of life and death. This is compounded by the fact that even if people are carrying mobile phones, some rural areas either have no mobile coverage or very patchy coverage.
Will the nation's beloved red phone boxes soon be a thing of the past in the British countryside?
Similarly, pay phones are marked on Ordnance Survey maps, if 3,000 of them are removed people carrying the maps may discover that a phone they are relying on is no longer be there.
The removal of each phone box is being handled individually. Each one will have a notice put on it explaining how objections to its removal can be made. There is a 42-day window to object, normally done by contacting the Local Authority. It may also be advisable to contact the local Parish Council to advise them of your concerns.
For further information BT can be contacted on customer.serv.payphones@bt.com or by freephone on 0800 661 610
