Independent payphone service provider TriTel placed the time limit on 1800 numbers made from its pay phones in July this year, after repeated attempts to arrange a revenue sharing plan with Telstra and other carriers fell through.
Barbara Kilpatrick, principal executive officer of the Manly Warringah Women's Resource Centre said services such as rape crisis lines and domestic violence lines were often accessed via public phones, the time limit could have potentially disastrous consequences.
-Such services often keep the women on the line while they contact the police or call through the refuges looking for accommodation," Kilpatrick said.
She also pointed out that women who contacted such services were often distressed and needed to be counselled in order for the crisis staff to determine their needs and any details of incidents of violence. -They will need more than just 60 seconds to access the service."
However, TriTel managing director John Bucknell said TriTel phones carried up to 1.8 million 1800 calls per year, and he had been forced to take action to implement the time limit because of Telstra's unwillingness to negotiate payment.
-We have attempted to have the ACCC intervene, and while they have expressed sympathy for the situation, they haven't actually done anything," Bucknell said. -We have drawn a line in the sand and said that we are not tolerating it anymore."
According to Bucknell, Telstra representatives have refused to agree to payment on principal, leaving the operator no choice but to subsidise the service, or limit it in some way.
-I sincerely regret the inconvenience this is causing to the public," Bucknell said. -From Telstra's point of view they aren't going to pay unless they are forced to by the ACCC."
ACCC spokesperson Rachel Wolters, said that while earlier investigations had not resulted in a decision, the issue was a priority and the corporate watchdog was looking into complaints it had received.
-We have received a couple of enquiries, and we will deal with the matter as soon as possible," Wolters said.
Maureen Lacey, acting executive officer of the Women's Refuge Resource Centre, described the move as a concern, and said the time limit would place women and children risk.
-It took quite a bit of work to get that number established," Lacey said. -It came out of a desperate need for such a service and it sounds like Telstra should be doing something to protect it at the very least as a service to the community."
The limit also affects a number of merchants who use the service to facilitate customer contact. TriTel's Bucknell said the company's call centre had received numerous calls from merchants concerned that access to the numbers had been limited.
Telstra have been contacted did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Situation NORMAL. T(H)elstra will not negotiate if it means giving up revenue. It's only interest is to boost its profits.
As usual, it will thumb its nose at the ACCC & to hell with the needs of the community.