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Underused payphones across Bristol to be removed
Ten payphones across Bristol are due to be removed soon by BT.
The grotty cuboid kiosks have fallen victim to the ubiquity of mobile phones and are not the famous red versions which can be ‘adopted’ by charities and communities.
Payphones across the city likely to disappear within the next few months include ones on the centre, Eastfield Road in Westbury-on-Trym and Ashley Road in St Paul’s.
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The payphones earmarked for removal are among some of the most underused in Bristol.
Ofcom guidelines protect payphones if their location is not already covered by all four mobile networks; or
it is located at an accident or suicide hotspot; or more than 52 calls have been made from it over the past 12 months; or “exceptional circumstances” mean there is a need for a public call box.
Ten payphones across Bristol are soon set to be removed by BT – photo: Martin Booth
A BT Group spokesperson said: “We constantly review our payphones estate across the UK to see if those which are not frequently used can be removed.
“With the vast majority of people now using mobile phones, it’s led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from payphones.
“At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts and the Shared Rural Network programme.
“For iconic red kiosks, we’d encourage communities or charities to adopt them for only £1, so they can transform them into things like lifesaving heart defibrillator units or libraries.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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