WHAT has happened to accessible local Government that we all pay council tax for?
When I tried to phone through to Environmental Health on behalf of an elderly person who told me he could not get through to anybody, I only succeeded in wasting time, patience and money.
I rang the main city council line, which is the only number on the website.
Environmental Heath was not listed by the automaton giving options to press buttons.
So I held the line as instructed by the robotic voice.
After 15 minutes at my expense, nobody answered.
I did this twice at different times of day with no result.
Then I rang a colleague in a housing association to ask what number they would ring.
I was told to “press any button and when you get through ask for Environmental Health, they will transfer you”.
So I selected Housing and then Buildings Issues as being closest to what I needed.
Nobody answered after 12 minutes, so I gave up.
I am sure this system saves the Labour-run city council money, but it also means an urgent situation goes unreported and nothing can be done about it. I emailed my city councillor but, as yet, have had no response.
SUSHILA DHALL, Rewley Park, Oxford
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