LIB DEMS BLAST PLANS TO REDUCE STATION STAFF HOURS BY 189 HOURS A WEEK ACROSS SOUTHWARK

1.09.29pm GMT Tue 8th Nov 2005

Southwark Liberal Democrats last night secured unanimous support calling for an end to the ridiculous proposals from South Eastern Trains to reduce the number of staffing hours at train stations across the South of London.

At last night's Council Assembly Liberal Democrat Councillors Dr Abdur-Rahman Olayiwola and Nick Stanton moved a motion calling on South Eastern Trains to rethink their plans that would see stations in and around Southwark lose nearly 189 staff hours a week.

The affected stations include:

Denmark Hill 24 hrs 30 mins per week

Herne Hill 7 hrs 50 mins

London Bridge 2 hrs 35 mins

Nunhead 54 hrs 30 mins

Sydenham Hill 58 hrs 35 mins

West Dulwich 40 hrs 55 mins

Moving the motion, Cllr Dr Olayiwola, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Chaucer ward, said:

"At this time of heightened security threats across London's transport network it is ludicrous that South Eastern Trains wants to take this backward step.

"Under these proposals stations regularly used by Southwark residents would lose nearly 189 hours of staffing per week. And there will be hundreds more hours lost across the south of London.

"This cost cutting exercise will completely fail to reassure passengers that South Eastern Trains has their safety at the top of their agenda."

Seconding the motion, Cllr Nick Stanton, Lib Dem Leader of the Council with responsibility for community safety, said:

"If the Government is really serious about getting people out of their cars and onto public transport it must ensure that people feel safe using trains and buses.

"Major transport interchanges have always been crime hotspots and it is absurd that South Eastern Trains is even suggesting removing staff who play a vital role in reassuring passengers."