Campaign to save phones

Al l p ay phones should be retained in Rutherglen, the town’s community council has said.

Community councillors voted this week to oppose a proposal by BT to remove four lesser used pay phones from the town.

The communications giant said the roll out of mobile phones and 3G and 4G internet means phones at Cruachan Road, Spittal Road, McCallum Avenue and Stonelaw Road are no longer needed.

Only 381 calls were made at Cruachan Road in the past 12 months, with 334 made at Spittal Road, 98 made at McCallum Avenue and 178 made at Stonelaw Road.

But community councillors said the fact the phones were being used meant they should be retained.

Tommy Rooney, chairman of the community council, said: “We don’t know the circumstances in which they are being used. It could be someone that has seen something that is phoning in an emergency. It is a way of communicating for some people, I think they should be kept.

“They appear to be quite well used. Ninety- six in 12 months, that’s twice a week.”

BT says the overall use of pay phones has reduced by more than 90 per cent in the last decade, with at least 98 per cent of the UK now having either 3G or 4G coverage.

As there is network coverage, it is possible to call emergency services even when there is no credit or no coverage from mobile providers.