loddon wrote on Jun 25
th, 2009 at 7:20am:
For clarification, I wish it made clear that use of 01/02 numbers by public bodies is welcomed, even preferable, but if they feel they must use a non-geo number then only 03 numbers can be used and that 0844, 0845 and 0870/1/2/3 and 09 numbers are banned.
Fair point, but I fear that listing all of these codes would be testing the comprehension of our poor tired Prime Minister a little too much. He seemed to struggle with which years were in the past and which in the future yesterday.
Except where a service covers a particular locality, so that the vast majority of callers can have the convenience of omitting part of the dialling code, any preference for a geographic number can only be shown by those who share the code chosen, to the relative disadvantage of others. For national services therefore 020 is the obvious code to choose, so as to offer this convenience to the maximum number of callers.
Perhaps the residents of each dialling code area could each start their own e-petition to press their claim. Alternatively it may be that the neutrality offered by non-geographic (03) numbers makes them preferable for all situations where a single geographic area code does not cover all callers. There are cases where a local service covers two or three dialling codes, or a conurbation with some outlying areas where a non-geographic number becomes almost mandatory to avoid perceptions of favouritism.
As the cost to the caller is (generally) the same, it is for the service provider to consider any cost implications of a choice between 01/02 and 03, in balance with the other factors.
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Petition the PM (Read 9,873 times)
