End of line for rural phonebox

Eircom is set to remove 52 phoneboxes from towns and villages in Westmeath as part of a nationwide cull of nearly half of the company"s public payphones, the Westmeath Independent has learned. 17 of these phones will be removed from the greater Athlone area, with another 19 expected to get the axe in Mullingar. Four will be removed from the streets of Moate, while two have been earmarked for removal in Castlepollard, Kinnegad, Killucan, Delvin, Glasson and Kilbeggan. 'eircom continuously monitors payphones for levels of customer usage and in the last 5 years there has been a decline in call volumes from payphones of more than 80 per cent,' an eircom spokesperson said this week. 'Beginning in April, eircom intends to remove 2,151 payphones nationwide because there has been very low, and in some cases no customer usage over a sustained period.' Prior to the removal of any payphone, eircom will commence a public consultation process. Removal notification notices will be placed on all targeted payphones for a minimum of six weeks. Additionally letters will be issued to all relevant Local Authorities informing them of the rationalisation programme in their area. Local residents and relevant authorities in Westmeath will be given an opportunity to submit their views in writing to eircom before March 16. All views received will be taken into account before a final decision is made on the removal of any payphone. Seventeen are set for the axe in the Athlone area: two each at Custume Place, Main Street, Church Street and Gallow"s Hill, Baylough, two in Shannonbridge, as well as one each at Garrycastle, Ballykeeran, Lissywollen, Walderstown, Curraghboy and Kiltoom. The phoneboxes tabled for removal in the Mullingar area are: Pearse Street, Market Square, Dominick Street (two), Springfield, Newtown Lawns, Ballinderry, Green Bridge, and one each in outer areas such as Rathowen, Lismacaffrey, Rochfortbridge, Milltownpass, Tyrrellspass, Moyvore, Ballymore, Multyfarnham, Ballynacargy, Clonard and Collinstown. Two will be removed in Kinnegad (one on Main Street), Killucan (one at Rathwire), Kilbeggan (both on Main Street), Glasson (one at Killinure), Delvin (one on Main Street) and Castlepollard (on the Square and the Coole Road), with four set to go in Moate (two on Main Street, one at the Turnpike and one at Horseleap). The rise in mobile phone ownwership is behind the fall in usage of public boxes.