The threat of removal hangs over two phone boxes in North Lincolnshire, located in Kirton in Lindsey and Barrow upon Humber, due to their low usage reported by BT. In the past year, the phone box in Kirton saw very limited use, with only eight calls placed from it, whereas the one in Barrow was used merely seven times. Local resident of Kirton, Nigel Charlton, commented that these phone booths are antiquated and would be more suited to a museum. Moreover, Chris Allsopp, proprietor of a gaming centre in Kirton called The Brick Hut, revealed that his enterprise does not take advantage of a landline, but rather depends solely on mobile phones.
Nevertheless, in spite of declining use, some community members, such as Caroline Ali who works at a local charity shop in Kirton, contend that phone boxes maintain an essential role during emergencies, especially within rural territories where internet access can be unreliable. Serving a dual purpose, the phone box in Kirton also operates as a cash withdrawal facility, which local resident Lindsey Shelley regularly employs, albeit without awareness of its primary function as a phone box.
As mobile phone ownership reaches 98% of the UK populace, a concurrent drop of 90% has been recorded by BT in the number of calls made from public telephones over the past decade. The public consultation period for the proposed removal of these phone boxes continues until 10th July. Over the previous two years, there has been a significant drop from 20,000 to 14,000 in the quantity of UK phone boxes, mirroring their receding importance in current modes of communication.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
