ScotRail Reduction to Ticket Office Opening Hours

That the Parliament understands that the rail operator, ScotRail, is proceeding with plans to reduce ticket office opening hours at 101 of its 143 staffed stations; is concerned about what it sees as the potential impact on passenger accessibility, safety, security, quality of service and access to rail products and services of these proposals, and believes that certain groups, such as disabled and older people and women and girls, may be particularly impacted; considers that ticket offices provide a fixed location for passengers to locate staff and are a place of safety for both passengers and staff; understands that, through schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, ticket office staffing is the only regulated station staffing, and, therefore, if there are reductions in ticket office hours, there are no future safeguards regarding station staffing levels; further understands that ScotRail is basing these proposals on a public consultation, which was undertaken in January 2022 by the former operator, Abellio; notes with concern that, in this public consultation, 98% of respondents opposed the proposals; understands that members of the RMT, TSSA and ASLEF unions are currently campaigning to oppose these plans; further understands that, as ScotRail is owned by the Scottish Government, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport was required to authorise ScotRail’s proposals, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to instruct ScotRail to withdraw its plans to reduce ticket office hours at 101 stations and provide a commitment to retaining all existing ticket office hours and staffing levels.