The Rail Union, RMT, has today slammed the new Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) timetable as an insult to its disabled passengers.
The rail union has now called for GTR to be the next private train company to be stripped of their franchise as the union highlights a disgusting insult to disabled people in the new timetable, which comes into effect this Sunday (20th May 2018).
Regarding Persons of Reduced Mobility, or PRM, the latest instruction to GTR staff states ‘DO NOT attempt to place PRM on the train if there is a possibility of delaying the service.'
GTR has said that ‘the processes help us to deliver a 21st Century Railway'.
What did the officials say?
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“I cannot believe in this day and age we are telling staff to ignore the needs of disabled people if the time it will take to deploy a ramp and assist them onto the train will cause a delay.
“In the minute before the train departs staff are instructed to blow a whistle at 20 seconds, then, at 30 seconds the driver will close the doors and at 40 seconds the driver initiates the right of way procedure.
“They are introducing a policy which effectively means disabled people will not be assisted onto the train and allowed to travel. This is outrageous and flies in the face of their Disabled Peoples Protection Policy which requires them to ensure assistance is available.
“If this is not bad enough, in respect of anyone having a seizure whilst on a train, the guidance says: ‘Explain that your first priority is care for the individual, but not taking action will cause thousands of other passengers to be stuck…move the ill passenger from the train as quickly as possible'. This is truly shocking advice and an insult to all passengers.
“They now need to be stripped of the franchise to make way for an integrated, publicly owned operation that is properly equipped to deliver these services.”
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As the timetable has been introduced. Could Thameslink extend to Rochester, Gillingham, Rainham, Faversham, Canterbury, Maidstone, Ashford International, Eastbourne, Lewis, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Horsham. And possibly extend to Ely and Kings Lynn.