The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport has supported the idea of new ticket barriers at Hayes Station.
In response to a question from Bromley & Biggin Hill MP Peter Fortune, Simon Lightwood MP stated that Southeastern is focusing on installing gates at Ramsgate and Margate stations over the next 12-18 months. However, he said a high-level survey for ticket barriers has been conducted at Hayes Station, which concluded that the station is suitable for installation. Further work is now required to develop the business case for a gating scheme.
The development is the latest in the campaign by local Councillors to install ticket barriers in an attempt to stem incidents of anti-social and criminal behaviour. While there is no silver bullet, the proposal is backed by Southeastern and the Police to make our community safer.
Cllr Josh Coldspring-White said: “I’m pleased to see the Labour government back our efforts to install ticket barriers at Hayes Station. Working with Peter Fortune, we are taking concerns around anti-social behaviour directly to Central Government – making sure Hayes & Coney Hall’s voice is heard.
“We will continue to push the Government and Southeastern to go further so installation can be achieved as soon as possible. Crucially, we want to make sure the ticket barriers can be operated without the physical presence of staff, so they will work at times when anti-social behaviour is most prevalent.”
