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. mf/df