Mobile Phones Kill off Roadside Assistance Phone Booths

Calling the UK's Automobile Association (AA) for motor car breakdown assistance from a purpose-built AA roadside telephone will soon become a thing of the past, the motoring organisation has announced.

The AA is to phase out most of its 522 roadside phones because of lack of use - only a handful of calls to the AA (less than 6,000 a year) are made from roadside phones, with most people today favouring a mobile phone.

Kerry Richardson, AA Director of Road Services, says: "The boom in mobile phones has made our roadside phones virtually redundant."

AA members can also receive SMS text messages on their mobile phones, advising them of estimated arrival times and details of service, to confirm that help is on its way. Deaf motorists and drivers with speech or hearing difficulties are able to take one step further and text their breakdown details to the AA from their own phone using a dedicated number.

Says Richardson: "It may be time to ring-in the end of the AA's emergency roadside phones, but our commitment to the best possible service to our members remains the same." ends'"

Posted to the site on 20th September 2002