Police merger dubbed ‘horror story’

Trade unionists campaigning against plans to merge transport policing in Scotland with the national force have handed in an 11,500-signature petition against the move.

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) members brought the petition to the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

The Railway Policing Bill was passed by MSPS earlier this year.

The legislation paves the way for British Transport Police in Scotland to be subsumed into Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government said the change would make railway policing more accountable, but critics have warned it could risk safety on the railways.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “We’ve chosen Halloween to hand the petition in to highlight the real-life horror story the SNP’S plans to do away with our railways’ own police force will bring.

“The risk to passenger safety and the likelihood of increased delays in journey times are being increased by the nationalist rather than rationalist politics behind this shortsighted decision, and we hope that reason will still prevail.”