{"id":21270,"date":"2020-05-04T11:07:16","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T10:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=21270"},"modified":"2020-05-04T13:19:52","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T12:19:52","slug":"restoring-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=21270","title":{"rendered":"Restoring confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ahead of Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talks later this week with the department of transport, on Saturday May 2, BBC Radio 4\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Today <\/em>programme asked her what she thought how public transport could and should be made safer from infection. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what she said:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think many people would have seen many stories about the concerns we would have had particularly for bus drivers and the difficulties they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been facing. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made a huge number of changes to buses in terms of screening, in terms of cleaning, in terms of how they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re operating.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOther workers can stop and wash their hands and so on \u00e2\u20ac\u201c bus drivers cannot do that while they are operating. What we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen on Thursdays when we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re supporting and applauding NHS and care workers, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve also seen [last Thursday] key workers and transport workers being recognised often for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSo I think what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found really important in the discussions with the department of transport is that workers are being represented at the table. This is something we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve wanted for so long and it happens far too rarely.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd as we move into the next stages we have to ensure that the confidence we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been able to get for transporting the nurses, the care workers and the other key workers, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also there in the new ways that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re operating.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

She was asked what she thought about the idea of commuters taking their own temperature. Would it make members who work as bus drivers or on trains feel safer?<\/p>\n

Holland replied, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have called for and are testing in some areas temperature of transport workers, of bus drivers. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said that that is something that could play a part at least in reducing risk. I think we would be extremely interested in looking at how that would roll out.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat we want to do is restore confidence. Covid-19 is absolutely critical but there are other issues as well. Public transport has a vital part to play and we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t confidence in it to be lost.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

LISTEN HERE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n