Rail tickets online only will exclude many older people
Reforms to improve efficiency and customer service on the railways could exclude many customers altogether.
Plans to close all ticket offices revealed at the weekend will “worry those who struggle with digital services or do not have a smartphone” (Sunday Times – panel).
as sales move online.
Sunday Times 19 June 2022 (extract).
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said: “These people have relied on buying tickets face-to-face or over the phone and then collecting from a station machine. What are they expected to do if everything goes online?”.
At Citizens Advice we see many people who need help because they lack online skills or smart equipment.
We monitor their problems and try to change policies and practice that cause them. Railway policy was in our sights earlier this year with an online only cheap ticket offer. We highlighted the problem and alerted regional rail companies.
More about our Digital Exclusion Campaign 2022.