London Assembly Member Darren Johnson and Eastern Region MEP lead-candidate Rupert Read come to Epping Forest to campaign against tube office closures.
For photo opportunities join us at Epping Station at 10am, or in Epping High Street outside St Johns Church at 10.30am.
Darren Johnson and Rupert Read are to join Epping Forest Green Party members to campaign against London Underground Ticket Office Closures next Monday 7th April at 10am. They will meet with residents with a petition to save our ticket offices. Dr Read said says 'the London Mayor's, Boris Johnsons, plans to close all London Underground ticket offices and cut 950 staff are a big mistake. His broken pledge to keep ticket offices open has led to strikes and if Boris Johnson gets his way, passengers face disruption and a poorer service for years to come.'
Closing ticket offices which are only used by 3 per cent of passengers does not sound much of a problem, but this translates to over 100,000 people a day needing assistance to sort out issues which machines can't solve. Ticket offices provide a reassuring focus point where you know you can find someone – somebody to help disabled or elderly passengers down to the platform, to take charge in an emergency, to offer directions or help victims of crime.
District candidate for Buckhurst Hill East, Steven Neville, says 'No other party locally seems to be the slightest bit concerned about this. Only the Greens are standing up to the London Mayor's plans. This will affect 5 out of 6 stations in our area. Yes there is some merit in the idea of using technology to make staff more accessible but this has not been properly thought through.' Darren adds 'With record numbers using the tube and a massive predicted increase in passenger numbers these cuts to staffing are unnecessary, unsafe and unworkable. I know that Rupert Read will make an excellent MEP who will stand up for the people of Essex on issues like this that really matter to them."
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