Payphones a thing of the past? No, they should stay

I am concerned about the demise of public telephones in Singapore.

The iconic orange and red payphones, operated by coins or cards, were once ubiquitous in our country.

Over the years, these payphones have dwindled as society became more affluent. Practically everyone has a mobile phone now.

I remember the days when we bought payphone cards and kept them as collector's items.

While it is understandable that payphones have been pared back because of maintenance costs, there is still a need for them, say, when the battery of our mobile phone is flat.  

We cannot expect others to lend us their phones. A nearby payphone will come in handy.

We should also spare a thought for those among us who may not be well-off, do not own mobile phones, or use prepaid top-up cards for their mobile devices.

As a Singaporean in his 20s, I use prepaid mobile phone top-up cards. From my experience, payphones still come in handy when a prepaid card runs out of value.

I urge the authorities and operators to keep payphones — both coin-operated and card-operated ones — at strategic locations, including places with high footfall such as MRT stations and shopping centres, as well as in remote areas like beaches, which may lack communication amenities. These phones may also be useful in the event of an emergency.

Could the authorities comment on this?

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