Driver-less tubes? A good idea?

So, a key part of the mayoral election will centre around proposals to make radical changes to the London Underground system.

Under these changes, tube trains will become driverless by 2021 with phased changes over the years beforehand starting as early as 2013 with some trials taking place next year. All but 30 of the 258 ticket offices would close meaning tickets would be paid for via bank card, eliminating the oyster card.
Needless to say this will mean job losses for station staff and eventually drivers. However, the plans do include additional staff on the tubes themselves.

There are many positives and negatives to these proposals that were supposedly 'leaked' yesterday (personally I think they were leaked on purpose to gather opinion before a decision on such proposals form a key part of any mayoral election campaign but this is merely my speculation).

Let's start with the positives:

- any system which brings the 100 year old tube into the modern era is ok by me
- efficiency is needed in order to cut costs and we all complain about pricing
- being able to swipe bank cards to pay for tickets will simplify travel and prevent the bottleneck of people scrambling for tickets
- it could be said that tube drivers are paid fairly highly in comparison to other jobs
- many of the tubes already operate on a semi-automatic basis anyway and this driver-less picture will not be complete until 2021 which leaves 10 years to get it right by which time there will be a lot more than the 1.1bn passengers the tube currently carries per year.
- the costs saved can be passed on to commuters or ploughed elsewhere

The negatives:

- it is hard to imagine a situation like 7/7 terrorist attacks being dealt with without the drivers (let us not forget many of them were the heroes on that day)
- ignoring terrorist attacks, merely having tubes breaking down in tunnels would cause mayhem if the tubes are only operating in automatic mode
- I can't imagine tube ticket inspectors managing to negotiate their way through carriages in rush hour or changing carriage while the tube is moving to do so (safety?) And if not, what is the point of checking anyway given a large proportion are one or two stop journeys. And then even if they were inspecting, if we are paying by bank card how will they check? I won't want to scan my bank card on a random tube inspector's equipment for fear of cloning or security.
- security is actually the bigger issue here - if barely any stations have staff then how can the safety of passengers be guaranteed? We have heard stories of violence at tube stations when staff aren't looking or thin on the ground - this will only increase if it becomes a permanent occurence. Certainly muggings are likely to become more commonplace
- technical: there are problems on the tube lines most days of the week. Just how will these be dealt with if we are relying on the non-human technology because (as we all know from our own computers) there are often technical glitches that prevent things running smoothly
- tourists may find it more difficult to know where to go and which ticket to swipe - presumably the central london ticket offices will be part of the 30 'saved'
- I like hearing from the driver be it updates, excuses or just knowing that a human is in charge

Overall, I think it's great that we are looking to update our tube system and become more efficient and 21st century. However, it must be ensured that this is not at the risk of compromising passenger safety. With 10 years before the last of these changes will be due to come in, I'm sure there is time to do some trials and get the system right but don't be surprised if some elements of the proposals change having heard the public feedback before next year's election following this timely 'leak'.

Laura is the author of The Little Book of Tube Etiquette which is available to buy now at Waterstones, Cards Galore, Foyles, Amazon and other retailers.
http://www.gibsonpublishing.co.uk/

military tactics for rush hour? great idea, but for a girlier version...

So according to the Evening Standard, an ex-commuter has published a online guide applying military tactics to help commuters get a train seat.

Excellent idea. I love the website: http://www.brelson.com/ - commuters: prepare for war. It comes complete with colour-coded illustrations and has consulted ancient Chinese battle expert Sun Tzu on tactics for 'the daily fight to sit down'.

I covered a bit of this subject in The Little Book of Tube Etiquette but with a more humorous approach and definitely with a more feminine manner. I'm sure both will work...

Some of my top tips:

- If single and female, smile sweetly at a young man who is seated...
- If you have a boyfriend, position him a little further up the area between the seats...
- Carry big bags and moan at their weight...
- When you get on the tube, position yourself directly in the middle of the seats and be ready to politely edge at any signs of upcoming vacancies...
- Hold your space, the seat directly behind and in front of you is YOURS...

...and so on.

For the full set of tips, The Little Book of Etiquette is available now at Waterstones, Foyles, Amazon and other bookshops. Follow me on Twitter @LauraKing14