Unions react angrily after Brian Coleman calls for driverless Northern Line trains

CALLS by the former Mayor of Barnet for Northern Line trains to become driverless, has been slammed as drivel by union leaders. Brian Coleman, who is the current London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, believes ongoing upgrades and the input of ne

CALLS by the former Mayor of Barnet for Northern Line trains to become driverless, have been slammed as 'drivel' by union leaders.

Brian Coleman, who is the current London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, believes ongoing upgrades and the input of new technology on the Northern Line will effectively make the job of a driver redundant.

He has sent a memorandum to London Mayor Boris Johnson calling for drivers to be scrapped permanently, a move which he believes, would break the power of Britain's largest transport union RMT.

Mr Coleman, Barnet Council's environment spokesman said: "The upgrade work taking place on the Northern line will make it a driverless system. All the person at the front of the train will be doing is opening the doors.

"I am calling on the Mayor to be bold and make the Northern line driverless.

"It would result in a faster, more efficient service for my constituents. It would also break the stranglehold of the RMT union to make my constituents' lives a misery.

"The Northern line should become driverless without delay."

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary said: "This is classic Tory drivel from a politician who has no understanding of how the Underground works. Removing drivers from the trains on a deep tunnel service like the Northern Line would have lethal consequences. When the bombs went off on 7/7 it was our drivers, working with platform staff, who put emergency procedures into place and led the evacuation of the tunnels. I didn't hear Mr Coleman and his opportunist Tory colleagues calling for the drivers to be sacked then. Even his own Tory colleague Boris Johnson, and his transport advisors, know that this proposal is dangerous nonsense.