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Telephone boxes may be cut off
Katie Fitzpatrick13/ 8/2008
EIGHT public phone boxes could be axed because of the the rising popularity of the mobile phone.
British Telecom has already earmarked two phones in Norden and a couple in Todmorden Road, Littleborough, for removal.
Phones in Broad Lane, Phoenix Street, Spotland, Whitworth Road and Barnes Meadows, Littleborough, are also on the hit list
Rochdale Council has until 7 September to object with ‘genuine reason’ to the removal of the phones.
A BT spokeswoman said: "We are committed to providing a public payphone service, however over the years usage has declined.
"BT has therefore been constantly reviewing and, where necessary, rationalising its public payphone estate in order to keep pace with demand.
"Almost 60 per cent of our payphones are unprofitable, with almost 6,000 phones making less than one call a month and more than 50 per cent making less than one call a week."
In Norden a concerned villager has placed a poster in the window of Norden News in Edenfield Road, urging people to write to their ward councillors about plans to axe the payphone at the bus terminus.
The poster reads: "This public phone is invaluable to people on a low income or those without a landline.
"Getting a doctor’s appointment when using a mobile can be a week’s worth of credit."
Councillor Ann Metcalfe said she will contact the council about the payphone review and has urged people to contact her with their concerns on 630122.
She said: "These payphones are a lifeline if someone desperately needs to contact somebody and they haven’t got a mobile phone."
Most recent 2 of 4 user comments
Thank God for my mobile phone.
16/08/2008 at 09:52
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22/08/2008 at 19:43