Protest at station over lack of train staff
PROTESTERS gathered outside Central Station to highlight concerns about Scots trains which operate with only a driver and no other staff.
The RMT union which represents transport workers has joined forces with Disabled People Against Cuts (Glasgow) in the Safer Scottish Trains protest. They claim trains which operate with only a driver restrict access for disabled and vulnerable people. And they are calling on ScotRail to ensure every train has a second member of staff to ensure public safety.
RMT Scotland regional organiser Michael Hogg said 43 per cent of trains in Scotland operate with guards but 57 per cent have either no second member of staff or operate with only a ticket inspector.
He said: “The Safer Scottish Trains campaign is all about accessibility for all including disabled and vulnerable people.
“The difference between having a guard or a second member of staff is that if the guard doesn’t turn up the train is cancelled for safety reasons but if a second person doesn’t turn up, ScotRail still runs the trains.
“We have established 214 stations in Scotland are completely unstaffed which raises the question how do disabled people in wheel- chairs or vulnerable people access or disembark from the train if there is no guard or second person.
“We are not demanding a guard is returned to all trains but we are looking for a guarantee that a second member of staff will be on the train.” A ScotRail Alliance spokesman said: “In the last four week period alone we ran over 57,000 services and the vast majority had a second member of staff on board to look after our customers.
“Of course no system is perfect but the reality is our on-train staff and our people who work at stations do a great job keeping people moving across Scotland.”