Lib Dems say Chiswick Park and other tube stations must be manned

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 7th Sep 2007

Gary Malcolm outside Chiswick Park tube

The Southfield Lib Dems have joined with Greater London Assembly member Geoff Pope to prevent Transport for London from shutting the manned ticket office Chiswick Park tube station and other stations in the area, including East Putney, North Ealing, Ravenscourt Park and West Acton. Southfield Lib Dem councillors Gary Malcolm and Harvey Rose surveyed residents recently in Acton Green to ask for their views. Of those they spoke to 88 percent of residents said they wanted the station ticket office to be kept open.

Cllr Gary Malcolm said:

"My experience of other stations like North Ealing and West Acton is that, even now, it is virtually impossible to find anyone for help when it is needed (to get heavy luggage through the barrier), with the ticket office closed for much of the day already. The same is probably true of Chiswick Park."

Gary added:

"Totally unmanned stations create potential crime and health and safety issues. If people are not familiar with the area there will be problems such as very long queues for passengers finding the staff for help and basic information or buying tickets."

NOTES TO EDITORS

• London Underground plan to close around 40 ticket offices on the network and to also reduce the opening hours of many others. These ticket office closures would start in early 2008.

• The use of Oyster may be growing in popularity, but about three in ten journeys still don't use this technology.