New phones for motorists in need

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/kent/5332672.stm

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Drivers in Kent are to be among the first in the UK to benefit from the latest emergency roadside telephones.

The Highways Agency is replacing more than 6,500 of the orange emergency telephones over the next three years.

Work begins on Monday on the M2 near Rochester and Gravesend with the aim of providing a more accessible and reliable service to motorists.

The Highways Agency estimates that existing phones will be replaced at a rate of between 50 and 75 a week.

Location pinpointed

All the emergency roadside telephones are answered by the Highways Agency Regional Control Centre at Godstone, in Surrey.

Operators can then contact either the relevant recovery organisation or send out a Highways Agency traffic officer.

Ken Hewitt, operations manager for Kent, said: "We always recommend customers use the orange emergency telephones rather than a mobile phone as it automatically pinpoints your location.

"This makes it much easier for your recovery organisation or a traffic officer to find you."

The new phones will provide greater accessibility for people with special needs particularly deaf and disabled drivers, improved sound quality and increased visibility.