Telecoms giant BT wants to axe 13 payphones in Badenoch and Strathspey
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Telecoms giant BT has embarked on another public consultation on public phone closures in the strath little more than six months after the last round appeared to have secured their future.
Thirteen payphones in Badenoch and Strathspey are again at risk and a total of 108 kiosks across the region, the Strathy can exclusively reveal.
The phones under threat of closure include some in town and village centres in Aviemore, Kingussie, Grantown, Newtonmore and Carrbridge as well as at Cairngorm Mountain and Glenmore.
Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor Bill Lobban (Independent) said: "Instigating yet another closure programme less than a year since the last one is nothing short of ridiculous.
"They are clearly not following Ofcom rules and I will be calling on Highland Council to object to these Highland-wide closures on mass."
Removal warning signs were recently posted in affected public phone boxes giving notice of BT's intentions in line with Ofcom’s guidelines.
Anyone against the removal has 42 days from the signs being displayed to contact Highland Council.
A BT spokeswoman said most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade.
The company launched the last consultation on removing 110 payphones in the Highlands in late August, last year, resulting in 163 representations being made region-wide.
More on this story in today's Strathy now on sale.
