Rail ticket office closures will put off passengers and affect the vulnerable, claims the leader of South Oxfordshire District Council.
Councillor David Rouane is writing to Great Western Railway to raise concerns about the proposed closures of ticket offices at railway stations in South Oxfordshire.
The train operating company has launched a consultation on modernising ticket sales which would see its staff move from behind ticket office windows to help customers elsewhere on the station.
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Cllr Rouane said: “We need to remove barriers to the use of public transport rather than private cars, and safety concerns for those travelling alone constitutes one of those barriers. These concerns have prompted me to write to GWR about the proposed changes and raise these issues.
“I will seek assurances from the companies that the closure of ticket offices is not a back door to reducing the number of staff present on stations to provide advice, support and reassurance to all travellers but especially to the most vulnerable.
“Although my local station Didcot is very busy and generally well-staffed throughout the day, I am aware that those using smaller stations such as Culham, Goring or Cholsey will have greater concerns.”
The proposed closure of the ticket office at Didcot Parkway faced backlash this week from councillors and train-enthusiasts.
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Cllr Mocky Khan, a town and district councillor, said: “This seems like another case where stations will be run by machines rather than humans. Didcot is known for travel and trains and not to have a human interaction is wrong.”
Fellow district councillor Ian Snowdon added: “I understand they are trying to modernise but there should always be at least one ticket office staff there for the elderly.”
Clive Hetherington, chief executive of Didcot Railway Centre, said: “The machines are broken down so often and the staff certainly offer a really valuable service. You only have to look at the queues in the morning.”
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A spokesperson for GWR said: “Digital tickets have made it easier and faster for customers to buy and manage tickets online, which means fewer people than ever are using ticket offices.
"With 85 per cent of ticket sales taking place outside a ticket office on the GWR network, we think it makes sense to put our people where they can be most help to customers.
“This consultation is designed to allow the public to test and examine our proposals, and make sure our plans are compliant with the safeguards put in place at privatisation so that the needs of customers will still be met.”
For more information on how to take part in the consultation, visit: www.gwr.com/haveyoursay
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