There are no plans to abolish one of the two drivers on board trains in the upcoming legislation for the operation of the railways, Alternate Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis revealed on Friday, during an appearance on the television programme "ACTION TORA".
"Not only are we not abolishing one of the two drivers but are actually adding a train supervisor and cameras in the driver's cabin," he added, ahead of the presentation of the bill to the cabinet on April 28. He noted that the cameras will be used to ensure that "there are, in fact, two drivers on routes where two are needed," while they will also use geolocation systems.
Kyranakis stressed the need to revise and update the general traffic code for the railway, which he said was outdated and anachronistic, saying it was necessary to reward conscientious employees and to remove those that are dangerous.
The minister explained that the new regulations will differentiate between high-risk violations, such as excessive speed or sending a train down the wrong track, and low-risk violations, which will be addressed through retraining.
"We need to understand that we are handling human lives. We cannot tar those who have a high sense of responsibility with the same brush as those who are playing about. Anyone playing about will be removed. I am not afraid to clash with trade unionists," Kyranakis added.
He also announced the hiring of additional staff of a "European level" at the Hellenic Railways Organisation and other companies involved in the running of Greece's railways, including by inviting Greeks working with railway infrastructure abroad to return to Greece.