Notice boards have been put up by the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) at Mumbai CSMT stating that train motormen will “work to rule” starting Sunday morning. While CR officials said they were in negotiations with the union, commuters may start feeling the effects from Monday morning if issues are not resolved
The railway officials said negotiations with the motormen’s union were already underway and the protest was likely to be called off soon. Representational Pic/File
Mumbai local train services on Central Railway are likely be affected on Monday by a potential motormen’s protest against “increased duty pressure” and the installation of cameras under a new system called the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in local trains’ driving cabs.
ADAS is a technology that assists drivers with various aspects of driving, enhancing safety, reducing workload, and improving the overall driving experience by using sensors, cameras, and other technologies to monitor the vehicle's surroundings and detect potential hazards, then provide warnings or even take corrective actions.
Notice boards have been put up by the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) at Mumbai CSMT stating that train motormen will “work to rule” starting Sunday morning. While CR officials said they were in negotiations with the union, commuters may start feeling the effects from Monday morning if issues are not resolved.
A warning letter has also been sent by Anil Dube of the CRMS Loco Running Staff to the Divisional Railway Manager of Mumbai CR, a copy of which is with Sunday Mid-Day. The letter objects to the fact that cameras have been installed in the driver’s cab to ensure that the motorman is pointing and calling out signals. Pointing and calling is a globally recognised occupational safety practice in train driving, aimed at avoiding mistakes by pointing at important indicators and verbally calling out their status.
“It has been noticed by CRMS Loco Running Staff Branch that cameras are being installed right in front of the motorman to monitor if he is calling out signals along with hand gestures. Whereas the motorman drives the train while sitting in the cab. Due to the single-person nature of the job, it is not possible to call out signals by hand gestures and it may cause obstructions in train operation. By installing cameras, the cadre working with honesty and integrity is being unnecessarily brought under suspicion,” Dube said.
“It is unfortunate that instead of redressing several grievances of motormen pending for a long time, the administration is spending money on other unnecessary things. While working under the aforementioned busy conditions, it is not possible for a lone motorman to call out signals by hand gestures because no one is present in the cab for acknowledgement. Repeatedly calling out the signals with hand gestures alone, without any acknowledgement, may disturb the motorman’s concentration,” he said.
Dube added that the motorman, giving undivided concentration while identifying the signals of his line among all lines in the same direction, ensuring the safety of tracks and overhead equipment, negotiating neutral sections, following all permanent and temporary speed restrictions, keeping a sharp watch on all gauges and lamps—amidst disputes with commuters and stress caused by trespassers—has to stop the train precisely at EMU local train halts at each station, even with changed brake power due to increasing rush. “It is unfortunate that the motorman is also disturbed by the continuous unpleasant audio-visual alerts of the ADAS. CRMS Loco Running Staff Branch demands that the administration should either seriously consider the hazardous working conditions of motormen or provide an assistant loco pilot to support them,” he said.
Railway officials said negotiations with the motormen’s union were already underway and the protest was likely to be called off soon.
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