Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
Navin Shah GLA Brent & Harrow
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Navin's News: Ticket Offices
Harrow’s ticket offices start to close
In April we will see the ticket office at North Harrow and West Harrow stations close and will mark the start of a project to close several ticket offices across Harrow. The move will leave passengers in Harrow paying more money for less staff support.
The closure comes after it was revealed that the Mayor of London’s plan to close all the capital’s tube ticket offices will cost taxpayers almost £134m. The cost is “staggering” and “£134m of building works and ticket machines won’t make up for the loss of 897 station staff.”
The closure at North Harrow and West Harrow stations marks the start of a process to close ticket offices in 9 stations in Harrow. The closures will also see almost 900 staff cut from London’s tube stations. I am concerned about the impact the staff cuts will have on disabled and elderly passengers.
Amongst other things the £134m will fund additional ticket machines in 27 stations, four new customer receptions and the conversion of 181 ticket offices for other uses.
I am very concerned about the ramifications of these ticket office closures. This argument isn’t about whether staff are based in ticket offices or not. It is about whether there are enough staff in stations to provide the good service people in Harrow have come to expect, particularly the elderly and disabled who often rely more on station staff for assistance.
The truth is a staggering £134m of building works and ticket machines won’t make up for the loss of 897 station staff. No matter how user friendly a ticket machine is they cannot provide the same level of advice and customer service that staff could. Coming after tube fares were hiked for the seventh year running many passengers will wonder why they are being asked to pay more money for less staff support on their journey.
ENDS
Notes
- The TfL Finance and Police Committee paper detailing the Fit for the Future ticket office closure costs is available here (page 7)
- The following tube stations in Harrow will see their ticket offices close:
Harrow
|
Station |
Month |
Duration of Work |
|
North Harrow |
April- June |
1 Month |
|
West Harrow |
April-June |
1 Month |
|
Pinner |
July- Sept |
1 Month |
|
Harrow-on-the-Hill |
October - Dec |
1 Month |
|
Rayners Lane |
October - Dec |
1 Month |
|
South Harrow |
October - Dec |
1 Month |
|
Stanmore |
October - Dec |
1 Month |
|
Sudbury Hill |
October - Dec |
1 Month |
|
Harrow & Wealdstone |
TBC |
TBC |
-
I urge residents to speak out on ticket office closures
I am urging residents in Brent and Harroe not to miss out on their chance to help stop the Mayor of London’s proposal to close all the Capital’s tube ticket offices. If implemented the decision would not only meant the loss of every one of London’s ticket offices but would see 900 station staff axed.
Boris Johnson plans to axe tube ticket offices and their staff despite the fact that last year almost 40% of ticket sales were conducted by staffed station counters. Opponents of the cuts argue that, even without ticket offices, staff should be retained to deal with more complex queries such as refunds and to help people unfamiliar with the tube network or less comfortable using ticket machines, for example tourists.
During his election campaign in 2008 Johnson pledged not to close any front counters promising to ensure there “is always a manned ticket office at every station”.
The consultation, which launches on Friday (15th) and runs for 6 weeks, is run by London TravelWatch and can be completed at www.Londontravelwatch.org.uk.
Not only has Boris Johnson gone back on his word to keep staffed ticket offices, he also wants to axe 900 staff. Whilst we are not opposed to a modernised service utilising new technology to free staff from ticket counters, it is imperative that those staff are retained in the station and remain accessible to passengers.
People in Brent and Harrow need staff there to help them and deal with the problems which arise. They don’t want the unstaffed ghost stations they would get if Boris Johnson’s cuts are allowed to go through.
Now is the chance for local people to have their say and tell Boris Johnson that closing ticket offices and cutting hundreds of staff just isn’t on, especially after he specifically promised not to.
Notes
- The latest figures from TFL, revealed through Freedom of Information requests, showed that 39.15% of ticket sales in 2013/14 were bought in ticket offices.
Mayor breaks North Harrow ticket office promise
I quizzed Mayor Johnson at the Mayor’s question time today whether he was mistaken in making pledges at North Harrow Station in 2008 during his election campaign?
In his 2008 Manifesto the Mayor said: “I will stop the proposed Tube ticket office closures in outer London. We deplore Ken Livingstone’s proposed closure of 40 London ticket offices on the underground network. There is little financial, strategic or common sense in these closures. We will halt all such ticket office closures immediately.”
I am opposed to the closure of ticket offices and Boris Johnson signed a petition outside North Harrow Station in 2008 to keep North Harrow tube station open. The petition was signed by some 4000 commuters.
Taking a complete U turn and going against his own pledges Mayor of London Boris Johnson today admitted he will fail to keep his promise to save North Harrow station ticket office open. Boris pledged to keep the ticket office open in 2008, signing a petition specifically calling for North Harrow to stay open.
It is appalling that the Mayor is going back on his election pledge and the promise he made to me and Londoners at London Assembly in 2008 to keep North Harrow and London’s ticket offices open. This shows his promises are not worth the paper they’re written on. In 2008, he called the plans to close 40 ticket offices “deplorable” yet he is now planning on closing every single ticket office in London. I asked him today how he would justify his decision.
Boris Johnson said in 2008 that there was “little financial, strategic or common sense in these closures”. What has changed? Sadly the Mayor has gone back on his word and it is the people in Harrow who will pay the price for his duplicity.
Ends
Notes
Tube ticket office opening hours slashed in Brent
Hypocrisy in Action
Today, as the changes come into effect, I condemn Boris Johnson's decision to slash ticket office opening hours in Brent. Ticket offices in the borough were cut by 574 hours and 15 minutes a week on Sunday.
The changes come despite Mayor Boris Johnson's election promise to "defend local ticket offices" and "stop the planned ticket office closures". In his 2008 election manifesto, the mayor said he would ensure "there is always a manned ticket office at every station". Instead in Brent:
- 14 stations times are changing
- Significantly reduced weekend opening times at a number of stations
- 51% average reduction of opening hours at affected stations
- No ticket offices open after 7.30pm on a weekday or weekend (apart from Wembley Park)
- Sudbury Town will be open for 15 hours 45 mins a week only (reduced from 38 and a half hours) (60% reduction)
Across London opening hours are being cut by 30 per cent - or 5,290 hours a week.
The mayor was elected on a clear promise to keep ticket offices open yet here he is cutting far more than anything that was planned before. Passengers will feel less safe and more vulnerable in the daytime and late at night as a direct consequence of the mayor's broken promises.
Transport for All, a charity who campaign on behalf of disabled passengers, have warned that the changes will make stations even less accessible.
Transport trade unions say the cuts will turn stations into a "criminal's paradise", making them more dangerous and leaving passengers - especially female passengers - more vulnerable to crime and anti-social behaviour. The TSSA union recently pointed to an assault which allegedly took place on an unmanned station.
TfL announced last March that 450 ticket office jobs would be cut as a result of the proposed changes. Negotiations over the job losses are on-going and one of the unions involved has accused the mayor of "jumping the gun" by pressing ahead with the ticket office cuts while the dispute is unresolved.
You can find out about the changes at your station in the table below:
|
Ticket office |
Mon-Fri Current |
Mon-Fri Proposed |
Saturday Current |
Saturday Proposed |
Sunday Current |
Sunday Proposed |
|
Alperton |
0630-1400 & 1530-2000 |
0645-1115 |
0730-1830 |
1045-1415 |
0900-2100 |
1100-1200 |
|
Colindale |
0645-1900 |
0645-14-00 & 1715-1830 |
0800-1800 |
0900-1545 |
0900-1800 |
0930-1530 |
|
Dollis Hill |
0630-1900 |
0700-1000 |
0800-1800 |
1215-1315 |
0930-1800 |
1130-1400 |
|
Kilburn |
0600-2200 |
0645-1930 |
0700-2200 |
0845-1800 |
0730-2200 |
0945-1715 |
|
Kilburn Park |
0630-2000 |
0700-1315 & 1515-1830 |
0800-2030 |
0830-1900 |
0900-2000 |
0945-1600 |
|
Kingsbury |
0630-1400 & 1530-2000 |
0645-1030 |
0900-1430 |
1045-1230 |
10000-1830 |
1100-1300 |
|
Neasden |
0600-1430 & 1530-2000 |
0645-1030 |
0700-1900 |
0900-1300 |
1000-1900 |
1000-1400 |
|
Northwick Park |
0615-1930 |
0730-1015 & 1530-1815 |
0800-1600 |
1000-1345 |
0930-1630 |
1000-1200 |
|
Preston Road |
0600-2000 |
0645-1130 |
0800-2000 |
0930-1445 |
0830-1830 |
1115-1245 |
|
Queensbury |
0630-1300 & 1530-1930 |
0645-1015 |
0800-1430 |
1000-1100 |
1000-2100 |
1000-1130 & 1700-1800 |
|
Sudbury Hill |
0630-1230 & 1600-2000 |
0715-0915 |
0800-1530 |
1130-1230 |
0900-2100 |
1100-1300 |
|
Sudbury Town |
0630-1130 |
0700-0945 |
0800-1400 |
1130-1230 |
0930-2200 |
1000-1100 |
|
Wembley Park |
0530-2330 |
0615-2300 |
0630-0000 |
0630-0000 |
0800-2330 |
0745-2315 |
|
Willesden Green |
0600-2200 |
0615-1930 |
0630-2200 |
0830-1845 |
0730-2300 |
0930-1900 |
How are the changes affecting you? Please let me know by contacting me here.
Tube ticket office opening slashed in Harrow
Hypocrisy in Action
Today, as the changes take effect, I condemn Boris Johnson's decision to slash ticket office opening hours in Harrow. Ticket offices in the borough were cut by 224 hours and 15 mins a week (57% of opening hours at affected stations) on Sunday.
The changes come despite Mayor Boris Johnson's election promise to "defend local ticket offices" and "stop the planned ticket office closures". In his 2008 election manifesto, the mayor said he would ensure "there is always a manned ticket office at every station" and he visited the borough to sign the petition at North Harrow. Instead in Harrow:
- 8 stations times are changing
- 57% average reduction of opening hours at affected stations
- Pinner station will only be open for 15 hours and 45 mins a week (as opposed to 54 hours a week) – a 70% reduction
Across London opening hours are being cut by 30 per cent - or 5,290 hours a week.
The mayor was elected on a clear promise to keep ticket offices open yet here he is cutting far more than anything that was planned before. Passengers will feel less safe and more vulnerable in the daytime and late at night as a direct consequence of the mayor's broken promises.
Transport for All, a charity who campaign on behalf of disabled passengers, have warned that the changes will make stations even less accessible.
Transport trade unions say the cuts will turn stations into a "criminal's paradise", making them more dangerous and leaving passengers - especially female passengers - more vulnerable to crime and anti-social behaviour. The TSSA union recently pointed to an assault which allegedly took place on an unmanned suburban station, West Finchley.
TfL announced last March that 450 ticket office jobs would be cut as a result of the proposed changes. Negotiations over the job losses are on-going and one of the unions involved has accused the mayor of "jumping the gun" by pressing ahead with the ticket office cuts while the dispute is unresolved.
You can find a table of the changes below:
|
Ticket office |
Mon-Fri Current |
Mon-Fri Proposed |
Saturday Current |
Saturday Proposed |
Sunday Current |
Sunday Proposed |
|
Harrow & Wealdstone (East) |
No change |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harrow & Wealdstone (West) |
No change |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harrow-on-the-Hill |
0600-2215 |
0615-2030 |
0700-2200 |
0815-2015 |
0745-2200 |
0845-2000 |
|
North Harrow |
0630-1030 |
0700-1000 |
1000-1400 |
1200-1300 |
1100-1600 |
1100-1200 |
|
Pinner
|
0630-1130 & 1600-1930 |
0715-1000 |
0900-1630 |
1100-1200 |
1000-2000 |
1300-1400 |
|
Queensbury
|
0630-1300 & 1530-1930 |
0645-1015 |
0800-1430 |
1000-1100 |
1000-2100 |
1000-1130 & 1700-1800 |
|
Rayners Lane |
0600-2030 |
0645-1315 & 1615-1845 |
0800-2000 |
0930-1515 |
0900-2030 |
0930-1430 |
|
South Harrow |
0630-1300 &1600-1930 |
0715-0945 |
0900-1600 |
1100-1300 |
0930-1930 |
1115-1330 |
|
Stanmore |
0615-1930 |
0645-1330 & 1530-1915 |
0800-1900 |
0830-1830 |
0900-1900 |
0845-1830 |
|
West Harrow |
0715-1030 |
0715-1000 |
closed |
closed |
closed |
Closed |
Published by NeonHorizon. Promoted by Keith Ferry on behalf of Navin Shah, both at 20 Byron Road, Harrow, HA3 7ST
Navin Shah is the Labour Party's candidate for the London Assembly seat of Brent and Harrow 2016