Re: [NSW]Getting rid of guards

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

>
> >Marvin The Martian <"choochoo"@(nospam)spin.net.au> wrote:
>
> > It seems to me that most people in this group hate guards well guards
> > will be here for a wjile yet, if they could have got rid of guards they
> > will have by now in NSW. They have trialled cameras, mirrors etc but
> > with the amount of passengers and curved platforms it is not possible,
> > not to mention some passengers who are brain dead. Another reason is
> > they don't trust drivers by themselves, if they did they would not be
> > trailling dataloggers for all Cityrail trains, they record everything
> > the drriver does while he is on the train. Complain all you like but
> > guards are here and will be for a while yet. There has been rumours of
> > the guards demise for at least 20 years now and we are still here.

Guards are now gone from Adelaide and Melbourne.  Gone from London
Underground.  Don't know of any new systems introducing them.  Drivers are
even going - Vancouver Skytrain and Kuala Lumpur PUTRA systems to name a
couple of examples. As technology improves, there is less need for an extra
body on the trains to push buttons.

A few TV monitors will take care of the curved platforms, as far as
dataloggers go they could readily be installed, anyhow how could the guard's
evidence stand up against the driver in the event of an accident.  As for
the brain dead passengers, the guard can't do much.

It's a pity to see more jobs go, but it will be inevitable that guards
eventually disappear as the economic rationalists prevail.

Regards

David Bennetts