Loco Pilots demand implementation of Railway Board directives on Signal Passing at Danger

 Chennai (MAS): More than 200 loco pilots affiliated to the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) staged a protest near Southern Railway headquarters demanding the railways implement safety regulations and guidelines to prevent accidents caused by human error.

The loco pilots demanded implementation of railway board directives on Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) and recommendations of high level safety review committee and classification for loco pilots as intensive category of duty as ordered by ministry of railways.
“These recommendations were issued by the ministry and high power committees so that working condition of loco pilots and safety of passengers could be improved. But the zone has neither rejected them nor implemented them. Loco pilots have to do six consecutive night duties. This increases the risk of human error while running trains,” said K Parthasarathy, joint zonal secretary, south zone, AILRSA.
Loco pilots have been demanding the authorities reduce the number of consecutive night duties from six to two. Their other demands include calendar day rest, increased rest, two hours calling time, resuming duty after leave at 8am and others.
Non filling up of vacancies is resulting in denial of leave, increased overtime and inadequate rest. Leave reserve post and trainee reserve post were not earmarked in the annual cadre review, they sai