THE Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) have taken to the Scottish Parliament to protest the proposed reduction of ticket office hours across Scotland.
The union, set up for those who work in the transport and travel industries, is calling on the government to halt these plans, as the TSSA fears they could put many passengers at risk.
Members of the union were joined by several MSPs outside the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood yesterday afternoon.
The TSSA argues that the railway ticket offices are not only of use to customers buying tickets but provide a point of safety for women and other vulnerable passengers.
In October, Scotrail announced plans to reduce opening hours at a number of ticket offices across the country, which the TSSA says “will leave stations unstaffed for hours every day, leading to people paying too much for their tickets”.
Ticket office staff are able to secure passengers the best fare for their journeys and can provide help for older people and those with disabilities or learning difficulties, who may find ticket vending machines confusing.
The TTSA have started a petition to “Save ScotRail’s Ticket Offices”, which states: “We call on Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, to direct ScotRail to abandon these dangerous reductions in ticket office hours and commit to keeping stations staffed in the future.”
The petition, launched a month ago, has now reached 503 signatures out of its target of 600.
The TSSA posted about the protest on social media yesterday, sharing a picture of members holding signs saying “Save Scotrail Ticket Offices”.
The post was captioned: “TSSA today took its fight for railways ticket offices to Holyrood.
“The union is calling on the Scottish Government to halt plans to drastically reduce the opening hours of 101 ticket offices.
“Great support from many MSPs including Claire Baker, Richard Leonard, and Katy Clark.”
Joining the protest was RMT Scotland, the trade union for rail, maritime, and transport workers across the country, and the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), an organisation who campaign for the rights of blind and partially sighted people.
The NFBUK also took to social media to say: “We did not campaign so hard last year to keep ticket offices open, to learn now that ticket offices still may close with opening hours slashed going forward. Please think again ScotRail as this is totally unacceptable.”
Though the Scottish Government has confirmed that no offices will close altogether, the cuts in hours will still affect passengers, as the TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust explains.
She said: “Railway ticket offices are far more than just selling points – they are vital for ensuring the safety of women, girls, and other vulnerable passengers.
“They provide a lifeline for pensioners, people with disabilities, and those with learning difficulties, making the railways accessible and secure for everyone.
“ScotRail ticket offices must remain fully open, with no reduction in hours.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch today said: “The Scottish Government has the power to stop these outrageous plans from going ahead.
“Slashing ticket office hours will leave stations less safe, less accessible, and erode the quality of rail services.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson today said: “ScotRail has given its assurances the information it has provided the public is correct.
“As has been stated repeatedly, no ticket offices will close and no jobs will be lost.
“While we recognise any union’s democratic right to represent its members, we would caution against any using any misleading claims that might cause unnecessary fear amongst those most affected by the changes currently being consulted on.”
A representative from ScotRail today said: “ScotRail have engaged in a number of meetings with the trade unions to go through the detail of our plan and we have been very clear about our proposals.
“Twelve ticket offices will see their opening hours increase, and 54 where the opening hours will reduce, with staff working elsewhere on the network for the remainder of their shift.
“Of the remaining 77 affected stations, there will be no change to station staffing hours.
“In this case, ticket office opening times will change but the staffing hours will remain the same, enabling the member of staff to still sell tickets on the platform, provide assistance with using ticket vending machines, or carry out other duties at that same station such as leaf clearing in the autumn or gritting in the winter.
“On anti-social behaviour, ScotRail has in place a number of proactive measures to improve safety on the rail network.
“This includes hiring more people to double staff late-night trains in known problem areas, and introduce a team of revenue protection officers, with the vast majority already in place and out on the network.”
