TfL bosses launch investigation when photos reveal Tube staff sleeping
Mind the nap: TfL bosses launch an investigation when photos reveal London Underground staff dozing on the job during rush hour, but at least they’ll be sleeping through today’s strikes.
Transport chiefs have launched an urgent investigation after shocking images obtained by MailOnline showed London Underground staff sleeping during morning rush hour, putting passenger safety at risk as commuters face misery with more strikes today .
In the disturbing footage, staff can clearly be seen sleeping soundly while on duty in the control room at Tooting Bec tube station in south London, where their role is to monitor passenger safety and respond to emergencies. .
It comes as subway workers are on strike today in a dispute over pensions, job losses and contract agreements that will virtually halt all services, bringing misery to millions of commuters.
The action has been called by members of the RMT and Aslef unions and will also affect services until Thursday morning, causing chaos throughout the capital.
The footage was captured by stunned commuters who were infuriated that seeing workers asleep as they rushed to work has simply added to their anger as they struggle to cope with the misery of the subway strike.
In the haunting footage, staff can be clearly seen asleep while on duty in the control room at Tooting Bec tube station, south London.
A passenger who took the photos, but did not want to be named, told MailOnline: “The strikes have been hell for us and seeing subway staff fast asleep is yet another insult.” These workers went on strike for their pensions, but from what I’ve seen, some have already tried again while they were supposed to be at work.
They don’t even try to hide it by turning off the lights in the control room or anything. While we suffer, they sleep.
Another passenger added: “I was surprised because as we were rushing to work, the subway staff were napping and not even trying to hide it.”
You see them very often fast asleep while sitting in the control room. This is not only a serious security risk, but it is also an insult to thousands of us who have been greatly affected by the Metro strikes.’
Control room personnel are crucial in responding to incidents, such as fires, medical emergencies or people entering the tracks, and are also responsible for limiting crowds if platforms become too busy.
The role of control room workers is to monitor passenger safety and respond to emergencies.
A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The safety of our customers and staff remains our top priority. We are looking at this issue as a priority as it does not meet the high standards that our colleagues typically demonstrate.”
Politicians in London have also called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for the capital’s transport network, to urgently investigate the matter.
Shaun Bailey, a member of the Greater London Assembly (GLA) who sits on its Transport Committee, told MailOnline: “These images are shocking and fall well below the standards passengers expect of TfL staff.”
‘Sadiq Khan has mismanaged TfL during his Mayorship, and incidents like this show that much more needs to be done to ensure TfL is serving Londoners and keeping passengers safe.
“Sadiq Khan and the TfL commissioner must urgently launch an investigation into this issue.”
Tooting Bec station, where the photos were taken by a traveler
The photos were taken last Wednesday March 8th and the previous week on the same day at 6 am.
The passenger who took them said: ‘It’s the early start of the journey and even at that time the station is very busy. It is very common to see staff asleep.’
A spokesman for London TravelWatch, an organization appointed by the GLA to independently monitor the capital’s transport network, said: “TfL must have arrangements in place to ensure that if staff are required to carry out critical safety tasks, are competent to do so and are carried out effectively.’
Raising concerns that sleeping staff are putting their safety at risk, one passenger asked: ‘If something happened and TfL staff were asleep in the control room, how would they raise the alarm?
“Being in the control room is a very important job, but staff sleeping when they should be at work is very dangerous.
“This is not acceptable at a time when we have all been hit hard by the strikes.”