Councillors pass motion to try halt government rail ticket office …
Gateshead councillors unanimously passed an emergency motion to try and halt "dystopian" Government plans to close over 1,000 rail ticket offices across the country.
Councillors from both Labour[1] and the Liberal Democrats joined forces today in opposition against the controversial Government closures, including throughout the North East. Affected regional stations include Alnmouth, Darlington, Hexham, Sunderland[2], and Durham among others.
Furious councillors object to the closures, stating it disenfranchises disabled people, impacts the environment, and would almost certainly result in legal challenges. Leader of Gateshead[3] Council, coun Martin Gannon, also criticised the consultation process, dubbing it a "sham".
Councillor Denise Robson said: "This is tragically what I part of what I call the transformation of isolation which includes removing banks and shops from town centres, removing check-out staff of supermarkets, and replacing care staff with robots.
"I for one do not wish to be a frail elderly person in this dystopian future in which is a struggle to interact casually with a human being in the course of my day."
Council leader Gannon said: "This proposal is so irrational and so wrong it is almost unbelievable it could progress, in my own heart I am convinced the government will have to withdraw this.
"Virtually every ticket in the North East and 1,000 nationally are to be closed and there is a 21-day consultation period. At a time when we have concerns about the environment, climate change, the necessity of air quality, and trying to persuade people to move away from private cars, there is something wholly irrational about removing the infrastructure of the railways.
"There is not one national organisation carrying out this consultation, it is done by each train operator. I'm the most senior politician in North East in terms of dealing with transport and I have to tell you I struggled to go through the list of train stations and find out which operator ran that station.
"What is clear is that this is a sham of a consultation".
Coun Gannon continued: " Instead of investing in our railway system, they are de-investing and reducing the service for those who are most vulnerable."
Councillors approved for the leader and the chief executive of the council to "object in the strongest possible terms" to the proposals to the region to the Rail Delivery Group. The leader and chief executive will also write to the Secretary of State for Transport to object.
References
- ^ Labour (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Sunderland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gateshead (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Drivers warned Tyne Bridge repairs will cause 'crippling' congestion for years (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)