Cuts to Tube Ticket Offices
Posted by Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North, at 12:19, Mon 18 June 2007:
London Underground has recently announced plans to further restrict opening hours and close 40 ticket offices across London. For example when it reopens the Regents Park station will not have a ticket office and locally Fairlop station's ticket office will close next March.
At a time of growing passenger concern at having to use stations without visible staff these closures are a move in the wrong direction. The stated aim of these cuts is to oblige more passengers to use Oyster cards.
There are thousands upon thousands of people who use the tube infrequently, including tourists, for whom Oyster is not appropriate. In my view ticket offices provide passengers with a vital contact point for assistance and travel advice and I believe that they should be visibly manned at all times when trains are running.
What do you think? Please let me have your views.
Lee Scott
Comments
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Posted by Carolynne Spencer, 12:42, Mon 18 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
I do agree. I use Fairlop every day. I have got used to topping up my Oyster by machine mostly because of the time I travel and the fact the office is currently closed. However, where the opportunity arises I will always take my custom to the ticket office. Although I am an experienced tube user I would still prefer to talk with a ticket person if I had to undertake a different journey to get best advice. I also see them as the port of call when the tube is up the swanny for advice on alternative methods of travel. I know they say the staff are still going to be there to be of help and ask questions, just where are we going to actually find them. Least behind the ticket office window we know where to find them. I find it sad and disappointing that the staff that we are all so familar with could not be there to help us.
Posted by Shirley Collier, 12:47, Mon 18 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
It would be really worrying to be at an underground station and know there is no one around if you need help. It seems that everything today is geared towards saving or making money and the comfort and safety of people don't matter any more. And I think it would encourage troublemakers to think they can get away with causing trouble because there is little likelihood of being caught.
Posted by John Oxley, 14:06, Mon 18 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
I agree. I used to be a guard on the central line back in the early seventy's and women travelling alone and the elderly used to make a bee line for the guards carriage. Due to technology offering cost cuts in the form of one man trains this has been lost, and with it the safety factor of a passenger being dragged along the platform if their clothing is trapped in the doors! Unmanned stations are an attractive haunt for muggers and 'hoodies' do not need to fear CCTV cameras!
Posted by brian bromley, 15:56, Mon 18 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
I agree. Security seems to be of little interest, as far as passenger safety is concerned. In the late evening, Fairlop is a fairly desolate location, so hooded muggers for instance, not only have no fear of CCTV cameras, they also have the facility to be miles away before any policemen arrive to deal with any criminal incident at this station..
Posted by Stephen Street, 20:36, Mon 18 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
I agree also. I think the visible manning of stations at all times is desirable for passenger safety and assistance.