Residents of a new Perth housing association development have been left relying on mobile phones due to problems in connecting the flats to the telephone system.
Willie Wilson, Liberal Democrat councillor for Perth South, has taken up the battle on behalf of residents in Doocot Court, off Jeanfield Road, who cannot obtain a phone service from British Telecom.
Of particular concern are elderly residents who are unable to have alarms to summon help.
“So far, BT has failed to provide a telephone service to new residents in the flats at Doocot Court and this is causing a number of problems,” Mr Wilson said.
“Firstly, those residents who require the alarm service or other telecare services are deprived of the service provision if they do not have a landline.
“This is a serious matter and the depute director of housing and community care has taken up the case with British Telecom urging them to make the appropriate connection straight away.
“Other residents have had problems as well. Not all mobile telephones provide a reliable reception at all times of the day and night and personal phone calls can be problematic if there is not the option of a landline available.
“In addition, businessmen may be handicapped from developing their work, either through telephone calls or through internet access, if telephone lines are not made available.
“I hope that BT takes urgent action to provide a proper service to these flats in the very near future.
“It has been well-known that the flats have been developed and built and therefore any utility provider should have been up to speed in providing the necessary services that are required.”
A spokesman for BT Scotland apologised, saying: “We’re sorry for the delay in providing phones services at this new development.
“This is a complex engineering job involving excavations, the building of new underground chambers and the laying of underground ducting and cabling.
“Our engineers are working hard to complete the work as quickly as possible. We have arranged with the local authority for temporary traffic lights to be installed so that our engineers can safely carry out the final phases of the work in the coming weeks.
“Service providers will be kept informed of progress so that they are able to update their customers.”