Morning:
13°c
Mayor scraps Ken plan to axe 40 Tube ticket offices
Dick Murray02.07.08
Boris Johnson has scrapped plans to close dozens of Tube ticket offices.
His decision was immediately welcomed by campaigners as a "victory for common sense".
Under the Ken Livingstone regime up to 40 ticket offices would have been axed to save money.
The closure plans - revealed by the Evening Standard last year - resulted in protests by passengers, staff and unions.
Critics of the closure plans said the offices provided security for passengers, particularly late at night, and travel advice. Even ticket offices at major stations such as Cannon Street, Mansion House and Temple would have closed.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson, who opposed the closures in his mayoral campaign, said: "The Mayor has confirmed the 40 ticket offices that were under review will remain open.
"He has made it a priority to ensure these offices remain open.
"Every London Underground station will be fully staffed throughout opening hours and all our staff will be engaged in providing the best possible service for passengers, whether this is in the ticket office or on other duties."
Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA union's campaign to save the offices, called the Mayor's decision a "victory for Londoners and common sense".
He added: "It would have been unfair to the millions of people who use the Tube to go ahead with these closures.
"They would have been subjected to long queues at ticket machines and the stations themselves would have been less safe, particularly late in the evenings.
"This is a welcome step in the run-up to the Olympics when visitors from all around the world will be using the Tube for the first time."
A TSSA survey conducted by ICM found that 79 per cent of people believed the closures would have led to a worse service and 65 per cent said stations would be less safe without booking office staff on duty.
London Assembly members also joined forces to oppose the closure plans.
Tube and mainline rail passengers have repeatedly expressed fears about stations left without visible staff.
This was highlighted by the Evening Standard's Safer Stations campaign launched two years ago following the murder of Tom ap Rhys Pryce who was stabbed after he left the unstaffed Kensal Green station.
Reader views (6)
I am sure that in closing the offices Mr |Livingstone was not from what l have read sacking the staff but redeploying them elsewhre, where they are badly needed, but when the fare price goes up to cover the cost of the offices, will these protesters be willing to back boris then, think not.
- Meg, merthyr, south wales
I don't understand why Boris insists on chaining staff to ticket offices at stations where they are hardly used? Surely if the staff were freed up to help passengers at gate lines and on platforms this would be far more useful?
- Peter, London
This is a wise move by the Mayor and is a victory for passengers and rail unions that have campaigned for retention of staffed ticket offices that had been threatened. As a result, travel through such stations will be safer than it might otherwise have become.
- Peter, West London
Whats the real 'hidden' agenda here? Don't forget, Boris has just put in charge of TFL a guy who had the audacity to turn up to his own staff in a Porsche 911 to sack them, showing no remorse in the process. So what's really going on?
- Adam, E8 London
A sensible decision. Many members of the public are sick and tired of services and amenities being continually closed in the name of "cost cutting" and, even worse, "to provide a better service", or so they try to tell us.
- Neil, Gloucestershire, England.
Just waiting for a response from Bob Crow!
- Joe, London
