Thomas Pocklington Trust joins call on ticket offices
As part of the Sight Loss Council-led #MakeTransportAccessible campaign, Thomas Pocklington Trust has added its voice to a letter calling on MPs to act in order to prevent ticket offices at railway stations from closing.
There have been widespread reports that Government plans to allow many ticket offices to close. The former Secretary of State for Transport recently confirmed that she had asked the rail industry to launch consultations on ticket office provision. The Government has also stated publicly that it wishes to restart the roll out of Driver Only Operation (DOO).
Ticket offices act as an important first point of contact for many of the two million blind and partially sighted people in the UK. They provide information, unlock station facilities, and have an important role in maintaining safety and security.
The impact of ticket office closures can be particularly acute for blind and partially sighted people for whom technology is not always accessible and face-to-face support can be vital in enabling rail travel. For example, not all ticket machines or apps are fully accessible for blind and partially sighted people and therefore are not a full alternative to staffed ticket offices.
The letter was sent to all Conservative MPs with a ticket office in their constituency and was co-signed by Thomas Pocklington Trust, Disability Rights UK, Transport for All, The Equality Trust, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), and coordinated by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
Our Sight Loss Council #MakeTransportAcessible campaign tackles accessibility across a number of different travel methods that blind and partially sighted people rely on.
Find out more about #MakeTransportAccessible
Publication date: 08 November 2022