§ 37. Mr. Costainasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that telephones have now been removed from a number of British Railways stations, causing considerable inconvenience to travellers who require to contact their homes or call taxis; and what proposals he has to provide better facilities to enable passengers to complete their journeys.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. Joseph Slater)Telephones inside stations are often freely available only to passengers. Where they are little used they are removed if there is a kiosk in the vicinity. It is open to British Railways to rent telephones for public use.
The loss on kiosks last year was £4½ million.
§ Mr. CostainI appreciate that, but is not the hon. Gentleman aware of the genuine inconvenience to people who arrive at a wayside station where they cannot get a taxi and where there is no telephone? Would it not be possible for the Post Office to show some initiative and to help the railways in this matter by allowing them to put in telephones at special concessionary prices?
§ Mr. SlaterThere is nothing to stop even British Railways from putting a telephone kiosk on a station platform if they so desire and think that it would be an advantage to passengers, but it cannot be always the responsibility of the Post Office to see about these things.