Figures reveal that over 320 hours will be cut from local ticket office opening times

Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon called on Tube unions and Transport for London to 'put passengers first' as the first of a number of planned strikes began this week.

Pidgeon said that the unions should halt their strike action and London Underground should acknowledge the real concern that there is about the closure of these ticket offices. "The only losers in this dispute are London's Tube users," she said.

"There are legitimate concerns about TfL's plans to slash the opening hours at so many ticket offices across the Tube network, but taking strike action is not the way forward. The unions are running the risk of losing all public sympathy on this issue.

“Whilst we appreciate budget pressures TfL is not even prepared to be flexible and allow staff to be out in the station helping passengers and then to go and serve tickets at the counter when needed. They want to simply close ticket offices for most of the day with the loss of many staff.

"It is time both sides of this dispute put passengers first.”

The table below shows details of her research into how ticket office closures will affect local tube stations in Wandsworth & Merton.

September 9, 2010