TfA flashmob for staffed stations
Transport for All
‘Keep our stations staffed’ was the rallying...
‘Keep our stations staffed’ was the rallying cry of Transport for All activists, as they staged a spirited demonstration by City Hall against cuts to station staff.
As Assembly Members met inside, Transport for All activists gathered to protest at Transport for London’s threats to cut gateline and ticket office staff from stations across London. Our message was that the cuts to over 800 jobs on London Underground will severely damage the ability of disabled and older Londoners to use the tube, and threaten our safety.
But there was widespead anger when it transpired that a motion introduced against the cuts had been blocked.
Just two years ago, the Mayor and chair of Transport for London Boris Johnson vowed to keep ticket offices open. Transport for All is calling on Johnson to keep his promise and ensure that there will always be a visible station staff whom disabled people can approach for help with steps, boarding trains or buying tickets.
Youcef Bey-Zekkoub, a wheelchair user who travels on the tube regularly, came to the demonstration to express his oppostition to the cuts.
“I use the tube almost every day, but without the assistance of station staff I would not be able to do that“, he said. “These cuts will severely disrupt my life and the lives of other disabled people.”