Opposition


to
proposals
to
close
nearly
all
station
ticket
offices
in
England
is
growing,
as
more
local
authorities
voice
their
objections.
At
least
one
is
calling
train
operators
to
account
at
a
special
meeting,
while
a
Mayor
has
tried
using
a
station
while
his
vision
was
artificially
limited.

Cambridgeshire
&
Peterborough
Mayor
Dr
Nik
Johnson
joined
Royal
National
Institute
for
Blind
People
campaigners
at
Ely
station,
where
Greater
Anglia
is
proposing
to
close
the
ticket
office.

He
was
given
three
sets
of
special
glasses
that
simulate
a
range
of
eye
conditions.
He
then
tried
to
find
his
way
around
the
station
and
use
the
ticket
machines.
The
first
set
replicated
total
loss
of
peripheral
vision,
the
second
age-related
macular
degeneration,
and
the
third,
cataracts.

Wearing
the
glasses
and
assisting
himself
with
a
white
stick,
the
Mayor
had
to
negotiate
his
way
through
station
doors,
find
available
ticket
machines
and
try
to
work
them,
getting
a
taste
of
what
travel
would
be
like
for
blind
and
poorly-sighted
passengers
without
the
help
of
ticket
office
staff.

Dr
Nik
Johnson
is
medically
qualified.
After
the
trials,
he
said:
‘I’m
very
grateful
to
the
RNIB
for
the
chance
to
experience
what
using
train
services
is
like
for
blind
and
partially
sighted
people.
It
was
incredibly
humbling,
but
also
hugely
motivating,
and
I’m
determined
to
make
sure
public
transport
is
there
for
everyone,
including
the
campaign
to
keep
properly
staffed,
fully
accessible
ticket
offices
open.’

Meanwhile,
Devon
County
Council
is
taking
separate
action
to
counter
the
closures
plan.
This
would
affect
every
staffed
station
in
Devon,
including
the
major
junction
of
Exeter
St
Davids,
where
183,315
tickets
were
sold
at
the
office
last
year,
which
was
12.1
per
cent
of
the
total
number
of
journeys.
The
council
has
invited
Great
Western
Railway
and
South
Western
Railway
to
a
meeting
at
County
Hall,
where
they
will
be
questioned.

A
national
consultation
about
the
closures
ended
on
1
September,
and
the
passenger
watchdogs
Transport
Focus
and
London
TravelWatch
are
now
sifting
through
a
total
of
680,000
responses.
They
are
due
to
make
recommendations
to
the
transport
secretary
by
the
end
of
next
month.