ASLEF drivers strike on Croydon trams

ASLEF drivers on Croydon’s Tramlink network went on strike on November 13, with another planned on December 6, over a new device installed in the cabs.

The union says Tram Operations Ltd has installed a device which shines infra-red light into drivers’ faces. It claims this has led to drivers reporting symptoms including headaches, dry eyes and blurred vision. ASLEF says it could result in “potentially serious eye damage”.

The device uses advanced sensors which track eyelid closures and head movements to detect fatigue and distraction, and only activate the Driver Protection Device when fatigue or distraction are detected. It only records a few seconds before the alarm’s activation to allow the incident to be investigated. Transport for London (TfL) says the device is not a ‘spy camera’, and that it uses levels of infra-red similar to that in remote controls.

TfL adds that the device has been fully safety tested and certified for indefinite and continuous use, and that it has been used without incident in the road haulage industry.

Before it was installed in all trams on the network, a test kit was set up in the tram depot to demonstrate it and allow drivers to become familiar with it.

Following installation in all trams in September this year, a testing period gave drivers and staff the opportunity to address any concerns before full operation was authorised on October 23.

In a statement, ASLEF said it wanted “a modern automatic tram protection system installed that would stop a vehicle if it was overspeeding or if the driver became incapacitated. This system does neither. Instead of making the tram network safer, it puts the health of drivers at risk and does nothing to prevent accidents in the future… only an automatic tram protection system could have prevented an accident like the tragedy at Sandilands [in 2016].”

The union says it wants the introduction of the system halted until its members’ safety concerns have been addressed.