29/01/2008 06:28:12
Campaigners dressed in cattle masks undertook a ticket boycott on First Great Western train services yesterday, to protest about passenger conditions.
The 'fare strike' was organised by campaign group More Train Less Strain (MTLS), which says it gave away 10,000 fake tickets to commuters and encouraged travellers to refuse to pay for their morning's journey.
"Judging from the support we have had from the public, the government would be well advised to listen to the West Country and remove the franchise from First Great Western," said a spokesperson for MTLS.
The Press Association reports that protests took place at 20 stations.
However, First Great Western claims that just 100 passengers refused to pay their fares, out of a daily total of 100,000.
"First Great Western accepts that it has failed to deliver an appropriate level of service and is taking steps to improve its service," a statement said.
Last week, the train company announced that it would double the level of compensation it offered to season ticket holders affected by "poor performance".