Raz: Cameras to Be Fitted in Engine Cabs, Driver's Card to Be Introduced

Bratislava, 12 November (TASR) - Train drivers' activities in their cabs will be monitored by cameras, and a driver's card will also be introduced to check whether they are complying with mandatory rest periods, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) stated following the government meeting on Wednesday when presenting some measures to improve rail transport safety in Slovakia. In addition, according to him, the railways will be gradually equipped with the ETCS (European Train Control System) and GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway) systems. "Today, all engines have a camera pointing towards the tracks. Additional cameras will be purchased, and they will be pointed towards the controls. It is simply a measure costing a few euros to see what the train driver is doing, because he may be on his mobile phone, which is prohibited. This is prohibited for all drivers, but a train driver won't be stopped by a police officer and told, 'You have a fine because you were holding a mobile phone in your hand'," stated Raz. The minister pointed out that the ETCS system, which enables automatic braking and prevents accidents on the tracks, should be installed on the main railway network, which covers 770 kilometres, in accordance with EU guidelines, by 2030. It should be introduced on the extended network by 2040 and implemented throughout Slovakia by 2050. "Today, we have the ETCS system installed on 89 trains, 31 of which were installed before the previous government. Nothing was installed under the previous government. Since our administration took office, it has been installed on 55 trains and ordered for 34 others. This gives us a total of 178 trains. However, this can't be financed from the state budget, as it would constitute state aid; it's up to the individual [transport] providers," he noted, adding that the state could receive a large amount of assistance via the recovery plan for implementing ETCS in infrastructure, as this is the responsibility of the state, not the carriers. Raz announced that a train driver's card will be introduced. "Just as there is a tachograph for truck drivers today, there is a mandatory rest period for train drivers. We often encounter situations in which train drivers earn extra money for private transport providers during their free time," he added. am/df