Train Drivers Submit Petition against In-cab Cameras to Transport Ministry

Bratislava, 20 January (TASR) - Representatives of a petition committee submitted a petition against the installation of camera systems in engine cabs to the Transport Ministry on Tuesday, petition representative Matej Motycka confirmed for TASR on the same day.

According to Motycka, more than 85 percent of active train drivers of the two largest railway operators in Slovakia, who are directly affected by the planned measures, expressed their opposition to working under camera surveillance by signing petition sheets across the country.

"We believe that after this clear signal from people with practical experience, the ministry will reconsider the introduction of cameras. Unnecessary escalation of tension in the railway sector could be something our railways might no longer withstand," said Motycka.

The two state-owned operators - ZSSK and ZSSK Cargo - employed 1,809 qualified train drivers at the time when the petition was launched. According to the petition committee, 1,554 of them signed it.

Transport Ministry spokesperson Petra Polacikova told TASR that the ministry respects the right of train drivers to express their views via a petition. The ministry has already discussed the issue with them several times and is ready to meet again at any time.

"We see the introduction of body cameras as another element to achieve higher safety and also to remove doubts about whether train drivers pay full attention to driving the train," said Polacikova. "We can guarantee that the cameras will not be used as a tool for spying on or harassing train drivers; this is exclusively a safety measure," she added.

The introduction of safety measures, including a camera system monitoring the train driver in the cab, followed two rail accidents near the end of last year.

At the beginning of December, the government approved an Action Plan to Increase Railway Transport Safety in Slovakia. The eight measures also include the introduction of cameras at the train driver's workstation and a system for monitoring train drivers' working hours.

According to train drivers, monitoring of their work already exists. Operational data such as speed, braking or use of warning devices are recorded with high precision, and radio communication is archived. Cameras on many locomotives already monitor the track ahead of the train, which train drivers consider desirable and beneficial.

The petition also draws attention to train drivers' working conditions - a lack of adequate signalling equipment, no functional air conditioning in the summer, and cab doors sealed with rags in the winter. "The priority must be measures that have a direct impact on safety and health, not solutions that create an illusion of safety," said Motycka.