Trade union CSC-Transcom and NGO Navetteurs.be, issued a call on Tuesday to maintain an adequate number of staffed ticket offices in Walloon and Brussels stations.
According to the statement, the two organisations highlight that Belgium's national railways operator SNCB has recently devised a scheme requiring customer service agents to step away from their desks, encouraging travellers to buy their tickets from machines.
While this approach is not new, the associations express concern, particularly during this subscription renewal period. They stress that staffed ticket offices are paramount for offering quality service to passengers.
The advocacy groups emphasise that both the push towards automated ticket sales and issues with technical malfunctions underscore the necessity for keeping a sufficient number of staffed ticket offices at stations.
Finally, they urge the management of the SNCB to reassess its strategy, having previously highlighted the effects non-staffed ticket machines can have on elderly people and people in precarious situations.
