Leicester Green Party would like to object to the proposal to shut rail ticket offices or severely curtailed their opening hours.
This shortsighted proposal would have a devastating impact on disabled people and older people in particular, and the digitally excluded.
May we ask if an equality impact assessment has been done on this proposal? Where is it? Which disability campaign groups have been consulted in advance, as the harmful consequences to visually impaired people in particular have clearly been ignored. Does this proposal adhere to the equality act 2010 and its legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments? Why is the consultation period only three weeks? This is clearly too short.
We are also concerned there is no guarantee staff will be retained and at many stations where staff are apparently going to be on hand to help, you need a ticket to even access the platform.
Ticket offices are important hubs of information, and with the hugely complicated ticket system in this country, a ticket office is often essential, as split fares, and other processes are essential to make fares affordable for many.
As a consequence of the complicated ticket structure, people often make mistakes when they buy from ticket machines, and so an office is essential to sort out problems.
In addition, it would have a huge impact on the ability of people to access the county and our great city, and we call on all city councillors and our MPs and Elected Mayor to support our objection.
We ask that this short sighted short term and ill thought out proposal is abandoned.
Signed by:
Ursula Bilson, Co-ordinator Leicester Green Party,
Aasiya Bora, Membership Officer Leicester Green Party,
Mags Lewis, Press & Media Officer Leicester Green Party,
Cllr Patrick Kitterick,
Cllr Liz Sahu,
Cllr Mick Gregg