WHEN was the last time you used a public pay phone?

Your answer may determine how strongly you feel about BT's decision to axe 300 North Yorkshire phone boxes.

Only a few years ago it was usual to see queues outside city centre boxes. They were an essential part of everyday life.

Time and technology have changed that. Most of us carry a phone in our pockets.

In the last three years, the number of calls made from BT pay phones has almost halved and pay phone revenue has dropped by 41 per cent.

Attempts to update them with email and Internet connections failed to stop the decline.

It is likely that the phone box will eventually become as redundant as the wire telegraph office.

The pace and management of that change is crucial. BT bosses are promising extensive consultation with users about its long list of boxes to be axed.

We hope they are true to their word. Real consultation means going out to the neighbourhoods affected and asking for comments, not just waiting for feedback.

Many of these phones are in rural areas where they could be a lifeline for the local communities.

Until everyone has joined the mobile phone revolution and cellular technology becomes fully reliable, most pay phones should remain. They are still used by residents and visitors and are vital in emergencies.

Following on from the news of branch post office closures across York, it seems communities are set to be stripped of crucial facilities.

Both Royal Mail and BT need reminding that their duty to provide a public service is as important as their duty to line shareholders' pockets.

Updated: 10:05 Wednesday, September 01, 2004