During his 2008 Mayoral campaign, Boris Johnson pledged to keep tube ticket office opening hours as they were, pointing out that they could very well be reduced or, in some cases, disappear if Ken Livingstone won a further term.

How disappointing, therefore, to see him renege on his pledge. We have swinging reductions at Merton’s tube stations. Liberal Democrat Assembly Group leader, Caroline Pidgeon, ran a robust campaign but was sadly unable to change Boris’s mind.

As with Overground stations, where opening hours have also been as issue, selling tickets is not the only thing staff can do. But ticket machines can break down and cannot answer queries which travellers may have.

Oyster won’t benefit occasional travellers. Rail unions have pointed out that fewer staff (or in some cases no visible staff) compromise station security though it is a pity they want to continually punish the passenger by striking.

And since Ken Livingstone began his mayoral comeback campaign from union offices and has supported the strike, passenger should be clear that they can expect no sympathy from that quarter!

Boris is in denial. These cuts, together with his inflation-busting fare increases in January and his utter failure to show leadership over the continuing threat of strikes, represent a triple-whammy against the long-suffering traveller.