Train drivers are outraged at the Government and the Minister of the Presidency for linking, in an “unreasonable” way, Portugal’s poor rating in railway safety at European level and train drivers’ alcohol levels. THE Renaissancethe president of the union describes this Thursday’s statements as the result of “perfect ignorance”, points out that “an ignorant minister is a dangerous minister” and calls for the resignation of António Leitão Amaro.
“What we saw this afternoon, at the press conference, was an insult to the train drivers. The minister makes a relationship between alcohol levels and accidents on the railway when there is no causal link“, says Antônio Domingues.
The union leader highlights that the annual safety reports from the Mobility and Transport Institute (IMT) show that accidents happen due to “factors external to train driving”such as “degraded infrastructure, collected at level crossings or suicides”.
The train drivers’ representative considers that “the minister should know the annual safety reports before making these types of statementsbecause in fact are insulting“, as train drivers are “periodically scrutinized in medical, psychological and psychomotor examinations” and also undergo “alcohol screening almost daily”.
“There is no evidence whatsoever in what the minister refers to. It is perfect ignorance and an ignorant minister is a dangerous minister. The only thing he has to do is resign”, added António Domingues.
In a letter sent to the Minister of the Presidency, which the Renaissance had access, the National Union of Portuguese Railway Machinists (SMAQ) states that “there is, in fact, no railway accident that has been caused by alcohol” and that “the current alcohol rate, established at 0.20 g/l, is already an extremely strict and preventive measure”.
SMAQ accuses Antonio Leitão Amaro of making the call “right after lunch and in a light manner”, and warns that “it would be more appropriate to consider the real causes that affect safety in the sectornamely the deficiencies of the railway infrastructure, which are widely recognized and documented”.
At the press conference after the Council of Ministers, António Leitão Amaro highlighted that “Portugal has the second worst performance” in Europe “in accidents that occur on the railway” and that the sanctioning framework “is the lightest and lowest in Europe”. After, announced the proposal to increase the value of fines applicable to railway safety and security offenses prohibition of train drivers “performing their duties under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or psychotropic substances”.
According to the 2023 Annual Rail Safety Reportthe number of significant accidents in 2023, when 34 accidents with this classification occurred, is equal to the number in 2022 and is below the average of the last 5 and 10 years (39 and 37.2 accidents per year, respectively). Accidents involving people caused by moving rolling stock represent almost half of accidents, with emphasis on increase in accidents at level crossings – which makes the Mobility and Transport Institute warn of the “already identified need” to “accelerate the implementation of risk management measures” in these locations.
The report indicates that the most relevant types of victims are users of level crossings and unauthorized people on the railway. 35 of the 54 fatalities in railway accidents in 2023 will be due to suicide. There is no reference to alcohol consumption by train drivers.
Source: rr.sapo.pt
