Assembly Members from City Hall’s opposition parties have condemned their Conservative counterparts after a walkout by the Tory group meant a motion in support of keeping ticket offices open at London Underground stations had to be abandoned.
After Wednesday’s Mayor’s Question Time AMs were expected to vote on a motion proposed by Labour’s Val Shawcross and seconded by LibDem Caroline Pidgeon which called on the Mayor and TfL to review plans to cut opening hours at ticket offices and cut jobs on the Tube network.
Shawcross said she was “dismayed that the Assembly was cynically denied the right to vote on the future of ticket offices.”
LibDem Group Leader Caroline Pidgeon said the Mayor’s closure plan “flies in the face of his election commitment” while Green Party AM Darren Johnson said: “Ticket offices don’t just sell tickets – they are a very visible source of help and advice and help make passengers feel safer.”
The move was also criticised by RMT General Secretary Bob Crow who said: “If you wanted a demonstration that the Tory Party has total and utter contempt for the concept of tube passenger safety you only need to look at their childish, wrecking antics in the GLA chamber today.
“Afraid of cross-party support for a motion that goes to the heart of the tube safety issue they decided that instead of facing up to the facts they would just walk away, making a mockery of democracy and accountability. Londoners will be appalled at this cynical and disreputable behaviour.”