Motion by Councillor Bob Johnston
Oxfordshire County Council deplores in the strongest terms the draft proposals to close station ticket offices in the County. This is because such a move will exclude all the digitally challenged from easily purchasing tickets, among whom are numbered many travellers that are elderly, disabled, or both.
All rail users will be denied easy purchase of the full range of tickets, including some of the cheapest tickets. It will make split ticketing and the redemption of delay/repay vouchers difficult, if not impossible.
The assumption on which the proposal is based is highly questionable, with impartial data showing that at some stations as much as 50% of the tickets purchased are through ticket offices. Furthermore, it will restrict the advice available on ticketing: it is quicker for an experienced operator to issue a ticket than to supervise somebody else to do the same. There is also evidence that the tickets currently purchased from ticket offices are either high value or for complicated journeys.
Council therefore
· urges all Members to sign the online petition about the proposed closures to ensure that the move is discussed in Parliament;
· asks the Leader of Council to send a response opposing the closure of all ticket offices in Oxfordshire and
· asks the Cabinet Member covering library services, should the closures take place, to investigate what support the county library service can offer digitally challenged users of the rail network to obtain best value, especially during the current cost-of-living crisis.
Decision:
The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.
Minutes:
The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.