Published: Tuesday, 31st October 2023
The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk has welcomed the news that a plan to close tickets offices around the country has been abandoned.
A public consultation on the proposal by passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch had generated hundreds of thousands of responses from individuals and organisations. Today (Tuesday, 31 October) Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.
Council leader, Cllr Terry Parish, said:
“This news is welcome, even if the proposal to close ticket offices should never have been made.
“It may well be that only 1 in 8 tickets are now sold through a ticket office but those tickets are largely bought by the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged. In a borough where we have significantly higher than average numbers of residents who are older or disabled, this would have had a disproportionately damaging effect.
“This council agreed unanimously in August, following a motion brought forward by Cllr Steve Everett, that it was a plan which should not go ahead. I and our Chief Executive subsequently wrote to our local MPs urging them to oppose it.
“I am pleased that common sense has – eventually – prevailed and this awful proposal has now dropped.”