BT have been undertaking research to identify payphones in their network, which are no longer viable to retain.
With more people using mobile phones for calls, the use of pay phones has dropped dramatically in recent years
BT have indicated that they will not remove any payphones, which are located in suicide hotspots, in accident blackspots, in an area without any mobile phone coverage or within 400m of the coast.
In addition, they will not remove any payphones where there is a reasonable need and have used the following criteria for retaining these
- the only payphone within 800m
- had at least 12 calls within a 12 month period and
- the population is not fewer than 500 within 1 km of the payphone.
all 3 of these conditions must be met.
Eight phone boxes in the Turriff area have been identified for closure.
- PCO Bridge Street. New Byth, Turriff AB53 5XB
- PCO Cuminestown, Turriff AB53 5YZ
- PCO Fyvie, Turriff AB53 8JP
- Little Turriff, Turriff AB53 4EE
- PCO Erroll Place, Turriff AB53 4DB
- PCO High Street, Turriff AB53 4DS
- PCO Main Street, Garmond, Turriff AB53 5TQ
- PCO Cuminestown Road, Fyvie, Turriff AB53 8RG
Aberdeenshire Council have been asked to respond to the proposed closures. Any objections from the community to the proposed closure will have to objectively justified.
If you would like to object to any of the closures please contact your local community council representatives. Community Councils have been asked to respond to Aberdeenshire Council about the proposals no later than 28 October.
Local communities can adopt a phone box once it has been removed from the BT network.
