Licences Expired

From 23rd May 2007, the Bakerloo line had five drivers whose Safety Critical Licences have expired, and who have also gone past their 28-day extensions. By management's own admission, they are therefore not qualified to drive trains in passenger service.

So what is management's answer? Take them off the trains and get them re-licenced pronto? Er, no - apply for an extension so that they can carry on driving trains despite being unqualified, "so as to minimise the negative effect that subsequent train cancellations will have on the train service". Perhaps it has not crossed the LUL's mind that having unlicensed operators driving trains could potentially have a very "negative effect" on the train service should they make a mistake through no fault of their own.

Why have their licences run out? Because of vacancies, and because management postponed their re-licensing to keep train service running "efficiently". It is because there is already poor coverage on the Bakerloo due to the ridiculous timetable that drivers and our unions told management was impractical at the time it came in.

This move from management is totally unacceptable. What's the point of having a safety critical licence if management just make up the rules to suit them as they go along? Well you might ask.

If you are one of the people affected by this now (or in the future), don't drive without a valid licence. You've got nothing to gain and everythng to lose. And if there's a "negative effect on the train service", then maybe that will make management wake up and smell the coffee.