MP, Shadow Transport
Secretary, said:
“Labour claim they have a ‘Plan for Change', but they are simply
taking credit for schemes introduced by the Conservatives.
“The rollout of contactless ticketing offers little relief to
passengers facing chaos, cancellations and delays because Labour
agreed a ‘no strings' pay deal with the unions that will mean the
price of rail tickets and season passes will continue to rise.
“The Conservatives will tell the British people the truth about
the problems we face, even when it's difficult to hear. Labour
must recognise that quick fixes and hollow announcements will not
improve services for passengers or drive economic growth.”
Notes to editors:
-
The Conservatives supported the rollout of tap-in and
tap-out ticketing across the South East with £20 million of
Government funding, making ticketing flexible and
convenient. ‘Thanks to £20 million funding from the
government, the use of bank cards or smart device to tap-in to
travel will be made available for tens of thousands of
passengers across the South East' (Department for Transport,
Press Release, 4 July 2023, link).
-
The Conservatives supported Pay As You Go pilot schemes
in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, delivering on the
Trailblazer devolution deals. We developed plans to
launch pilot schemes covering 17 stations across Greater
Manchester and 75 stations across the Transport for West
Midlands area. The pilots are scheduled to launch in 2025
(Department for Transport, Press Release, 1 February
2024, link).
-
The rollout of contactless ticketing offers little
relief to passengers facing chaos, cancellations and delays
because Labour agreed a ‘no strings' pay deal with the
unions. There is a huge reliance on rest-day working
on the railways. Over Christmas, numerous services were
cancelled because train drivers rejected overtime. A senior
rail source said: ‘The problem has only got worse since the pay
deal… Why would they do extra shifts when they can spend time
with their families and put on a lovely Christmas?' (The
Times, 12 December 2024, link).
