Reid makes call to save phone boxes

Steve McElroy 1565 - 1565 • Published 27 Oct 2008 08:30 0 Comments

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AN MP is making an urgent call to BT - asking them not to remove telephone boxes.

Alan Reid, Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll and Bute, has hit out at BT"s plan to remove 49 phone boxes in his constituency which he claims are a lifeline for communities.

BT have drawn up a "hit list" of boxes where they want to cut phone lines. They include those situated in Tarbet, at Glen Loin Crescent, Succoth, in Garelochhead, Finnart, and at Arden Hill, Rhu.

Mr Reid said: 'Rural telephone boxes can be a lifeline, especially in the many parts of Argyll and Bute where there is no mobile phone signal. There is no justification for BT removing these phone boxes.

'They are a huge profitable company, making over a billion pounds last year. They can well afford to make a small loss on this part of their business.'

Mr Reid has sent BT a spreadsheet showing the mobile coverage at each phone box proposed for removal.

He is also critical of BT"s plan to charge Argyll and Bute £500 for each phone box on the hit list that is kept working.

He added: 'BT, not the council, is responsible for phone boxes. They made over a billion pounds profit last year and should not be shirking their responsibilities by passing the buck to the council.'

Mr Reid also criticised the way that BT handled the consultation exercise on its plans to remove the boxes and said that the notices they placed in them gave no address for objections to be sent to. He said the notices advised people to object to "the local authority" but gave no further details.

Mr Reid said: 'This consultation process was totally inadequate. BT must run it again, this time giving people the proper address to send objections to.'

In May, members of Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee were informed by BT about the planned withdrawing of telephone kiosks in some areas. It was pointed out that only few of those to be cut off were in the Helensburgh and Lomond area, but the members agreed not make a formal objection and instead leave the matter to local councillors.

Provost Billy Petrie said that the phone box in Rhu was seldom used and added that most people had mobile phones.

This article appeared in The Gazette 23 Oct 08

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