2 December 2016
RMT Press Office
RMT extremely disappointed at London TravelWatch report on the closure of ticket offices on London Underground
TUBE UNION RMT is extremely disappointed at London TravelWatch’s report on London Underground ticket offices which it sees as a missed opportunity for failing to recommend their reopening.
The union believes that the statutory watchdog has failed to represent the views of passengers – which have been confirmed in numerous surveys – that they want ticket offices. Even a London TravelWatch internal communication acknowledged at the time that “there is significant public opposition to the proposals [Tube ticket office closures]”.
TfL’s “Fit for the Future” ticket office closure and staff cuts programme was the wrong turn during a period of growing demand, including more frequent need for crowd management/ emergency station evacuation.
Despite the fact that there are now longer queues, London TravelWatch has not even recommended the re-opening of some key hub station ticket offices. Unfortunately London TravelWatch failed to stand up to the closures in the first place, so the findings of their report are disappointing but hardly surprising. RMT also believes that the statutory body does not have the competence to assess the related staffing issues.
RMT is calling on the Mayor to reverse the Tube ticket office closure programme. The union has no confidence in TfL to deliver on the remedial steps needed. TfL continues to break its promises on having ticket machines capable of replacing all ticket office functions and never having unstaffed stations/staff lone working.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said:
“While RMT welcomes the principal of having a report into the closure of Underground ticket offices, the TravelWatch document has been a big disappointment, and an opportunity missed, as it fails to tackle the crisis of understaffing on the Tube.
“That is why we have industrial action ongoing as we speak in the form of an overtime ban.
“The pressure from our members on the Underground to resolve the problem of lack of staffing is immense. The staff removed under the Fit for the Future programme must be replaced. RMT is fighting for this to happen at the earliest opportunity.”
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