Government Instruct Train Companies To Close Ticket Offices-True Or False?

[altus]

3 hours ago, RollingJ said:

Using a crystal ball, now?

It's not much of a prediction. If they don't need to employ people to assist passengers on the platforms now why would they need to employ them to do that in the future? Roles that were not necessary in the past are such obvious candidates for cutting in the future you'd have to be wilfully blind not to see it as likely.

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, altus said:

It's not much of a prediction. If they don't need to employ people to assist passengers on the platforms now why would they need to employ them to do that in the future? Roles that were not necessary in the past are such obvious candidates for cutting in the future you'd have to be wilfully blind not to see it as likely.

But they do employ people to assist passengers on the platforms (and on concourses at may stations). There are people walking around with 'Happy to Help' and similar on their jackets, and dispatchers will do when it is safe for them to do so.

[altus]

18 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

But they do employ people to assist passengers on the platforms (and on concourses at may stations). There are people walking around with 'Happy to Help' and similar on their jackets, and dispatchers will do when it is safe for them to do so.

Do they need more? If they do why don't they employ more people to do that already? If they don't, why will they need more in the future?

 

Do you really think those responsible for finding cuts in the future isn't going to consider "If we didn't need that many passenger assistants in the past, why do we need so many now?"

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, altus said:

Do they need more? If they do why don't they employ more people to do that already? If they don't, why will they need more in the future?

 

Do you really think those responsible for finding cuts in the future isn't going to consider "If we didn't need that many passenger assistants in the past, why do we need so many now?"

As I understand the proposals currently open to consultation, the idea is to get ticket office staff out in to the public areas where they can still sell the tickets, but also, when not doing that, generally assist passengers.

 

The point is, on-station ticket sales are falling rapidly, and unless ticket office staff can be redeployed, they could end up redundant - simple economics.

[melthebell]

11 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

As I understand the proposals currently open to consultation, the idea is to get ticket office staff out in to the public areas where they can still sell the tickets, but also, when not doing that, generally assist passengers.

 

The point is, on-station ticket sales are falling rapidly, and unless ticket office staff can be redeployed, they could end up redundant - simple economics.

What Mick Lynch was saying theres rules that are to do with having a manned ticket office on the station, once the ticket office is taken away theres no more rules about keeping any more staff on the station so they can then get rid of all staff

[Jack Grey]

4 minutes ago, melthebell said:

What Mick Lynch was saying theres rules that are to do with having a manned ticket office on the station, once the ticket office is taken away theres no more rules about keeping any more staff on the station so they can then get rid of all staff

Less staff means less union members

 

Less union members means less power

 

Less power means that they become irrelevant

 

And when they are irrelevant they become extinct

 

That's great for the consumer 

[RollingJ]

2 minutes ago, melthebell said:

What Mick Lynch was saying theres rules that are to do with having a manned ticket office on the station, once the ticket office is taken away theres no more rules about keeping any more staff on the station so they can then get rid of all staff

Sorry, can't listen to that bloke, he gets my back up. Would be interesting to know what these 'rules' were,  the reason for them, and if the reason for them still exist. They can't 'get rid of all staff' - they still need dispatchers/security - and other staff, to run the stations.

[melthebell]

3 minutes ago, Jack Grey said:

Less staff means less union members

 

Less union members means less power

 

Less power means that they become irrelevant

 

And when they are irrelevant they become extinct

 

That's great for the consumer 

less staff means less help, less advise, less safety

Thats bad for station users

[RollingJ]

Just now, melthebell said:

less staff means less help, less advise, less safety

Thats bad for station users

Apart from selling a reducing number of tickets, what good are staff sat behind a screen? They can be just as helpful and offer the same advice on concourses/platforms. As to safety - what good are they in their current locations?

[melthebell]

Just noticed theres a petition on the subject

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636542

1 minute ago, RollingJ said:

Apart from selling a reducing number of tickets, what good are staff sat behind a screen? They can be just as helpful and offer the same advice on concourses/platforms. As to safety - what good are they in their current locations?

you dont get it do you

 

they move staff out of ticket office

they get rid of ticket office

that gets rid of rules and regulations about having to have people manning the station

they get rid of all staff