Brent Central MP and CLP oppose Overground ticket office closures

The proposed closure of Overground ticket offices on the Brent section of the line LINK has been opposed by Brent Central Constituency Labour Party:

Brent Central CLP calls on the London Mayoral Candidate, London Assembly Members and Brent Councillors to oppose Transport for London's proposed ticket office closures, and to ensure that they are properly staffed during opening hours. We congratulate the RMT on their campaign to oppose the proposed ticket office closures, and resolve to support their planned industrial action over the introduction of the Night Tube.

Brent Central MP Dawn Butler has put down an EDM (Early Day Motion) that has been supported by Gareth Thomas MP (Harrow West) and 15 others opposing the closures LINK.

That this House notes that London TravelWatch is required to consult on London Underground's [actually London Overground] proposal to close station ticket offices at Gunnersbury, Harlesden, Harrow and Wealdstone, Kensal Green, Kenton, Kew Gardens, North Wembley, Queen's Park, Stonebridge Park, South Kenton and Wembley Central; is concerned that the proposals are being bought forward despite many of these stations experiencing large increases in passenger numbers; opposes the closure of those stations on the basis that passengers, especially visitors and the elderly or disabled, would not be able to access the full range of tickets and services they need from a ticket machine, would find it harder to obtain advice on ticket and fare options, would suffer delays to their travel due to insufficient numbers of replacement ticket machines, would experience a more congested concourse, would be less confident using a ticket machine and could end up overspending, would be deterred from travel due to the lower staffing levels, and would be travelling on a network which is less safe with CCTV monitored less frequently; and therefore believes that these Tube ticket offices should be kept open.

Labour launch petition on fares and ticket office closures

The message below comes from a Labour Party source but I thought worth sharing with Wembley Matters readers. HOWEVER A WARNING There is a major reservation that I have concerning the petition. By signing it you leave yourself liable to be contacted by the  Labour Party or its elected rpresentatives and can only opt out by writing to a very small print postal address. I think it would be much more ethical to enable signatories to opt out electronically. There have been some concerns about people's names appearing on Labour Party websites locally, interpretable as endorsement, without their knowledge.

On Monday it was revealed that Boris Johnson plans to close every ticket office at TFL stations in London. It will mean no ticket offices at Wembley Park, Wembley Central, Northwick Park, Kilburn, Queens Park, Queensbury etc.

The effect will be dramatic. Firstly it will mean no human presence to help out when things go wrong – ticket machines out of order, Oyster Card lost or stolen etc. Secondly it will make stations less safe, particularly for older commuters and travellers. Thirdly it will make access to travel for disabled passengers in Brent even harder than it already is. Fourthly it raises serious questions over whether there will be enough staff at stations to cope in an emergency situation and lastly it will result in up to 6,000 job losses. Disastrous all round!

On top of this the Mayor looks set to raise fares above inflation yet again for 2014. Under Boris Johnson fares have become the highest in the world. A single bus journey is 56% more and a zone 1-6 travelcard is £440 a year more expensive. The Mayor is asking Londoners to pay more for less.

Sadiq Khan, Shadow London Minister has launched this petition – www.GreatToryTrainRobbery.co.uk and given the statement below:

Boris Johnson has an abysmal record of hiking fares year on year that has contributed enormously to the cost-of-living crisis in London. London fares are now the most expensive in the world. Since Boris became Mayor the cost of a single bus journey has increased by 56% and the price of a zone 1-6 travel card has increased by £440 a year. He must recognise that Londoners are struggling and that their budgets can’t keep stretching forever and freeze fares at least at the rate of inflation for 2014.The Mayor can afford to do this; all that is missing is the political will.”

On top of this, the Mayor plans to give Londoners a worse service for their money. On Monday his secret plans to close every ticket office in London were revealed. His plans mean you will get no help if your oyster card doesn’t work, or is lost or stolen. There will be no help for tourists who need advice or disabled passengers who need assistance. It raises questions about whether there will be enough staff at stations to deal with emergencies and will result in 2,000 job losses. This is one of the worst examples of breaking a manifesto promise I have ever seen in London politics. No wonder the public are so cynical of politicians.