The London Problem

[Leafyhouse]

How about: state that from Friday, all people using the transport network have to show staff ID to identify as key workers?

Place inspectors at key stations like Waterloo, anyone coming out without ID gets turned around in the first instance, fined on the second.

Just a random brain fart really - thoughts?

That assumes that all workplaces have staff ID and that inspectors would easily recognise if they were genuine.

And that people will understand what is a key/essential role.

Also there will be other essential readings to travel (medical appointments at a centre of excellence, for example)

Closing non-essential establishments might be more effective, as that reduces the number of people who will be seeking to travel in the first place.

I think something like this needs to happen.

However there needs to be a provision for people travelling for essential medical appointments, and for carers.

It’s a good idea and I’m going to be interested to see how they define key workers for lockdown purposes. I work for a housing association. I’m the Finance Director, so in that sense not a “key worker” - but I’m one of the self-nominated members of staff in good health, who live alone and who can drive or cycle who are taking it in turns to go into the office one day a week so we can be on hand to do welfare checks, deliver food and carry out basic handyperson tasks for our many elderly residents who don’t have anyone else to support them otherwise. We don’t have any ID and aren’t technically care and support workers, but without us there are going to be elderly people with no way of getting food, topping up gas and electric prepays, and sitting in the dark because the fusebox has tripped but an electrician can’t come out for three days because of capacity.

But some people need public transport to do their grocery shopping?

Won't work - there are housing estates in London - not just huge ones - where the geography means that anybody with disabilities and/or small children would be unable to walk to the nearest supermarket and carry enough food for more than 1-2 days back.

I used to live in the top floor flat on the top of a hill. Took 35 minutes on a good day to get to the nearest shop (and doctors, dentist, chemist, etc). And much, much longer to get back, as it was all uphill. Seven minutes by bus once they added a new service, only once an hour, but it was jampacked with elderly, disabled and those with small children - it was so popular, they extended it to run throughout the day from early morning and to include a second supermarket one end and a major interchange on the other (which was a 45 minute walk beforehand).

That’s assuming staff were even able to check everyone’s work ID and knew exactly who was classed as a key worker. Given the crowds at some stations and the fact some are running on minimum numbers (LU staff are self isolating too where necessary) there’s no way you’d be able to check everyone. Not to mention the abuse staff get from some idiots on a normal day - that’s now ramped up

I don't think any system's going to be perfect, and yes it'd be easy enough to fake a courier ID, but it might curb some of the piss takers at least.

Saw the footage again today, more crowded tube carriages this morning. Grim.

Today's press conference (held on Zoom, btw) mentioned this.

I can't remember who was speaking, but he confirmed more trains would be back running on the Tube.

Aim is to have a more resilient service (so staff absences can be better accommodated) but that is not to be at the expense of that level of peak time crowding.

Start times should be staggered where possible too. Do staff have to be in by 9am?

The tubes are partially so crowded because of the reduced service- everyone I know who works in London, including myself, has stopped working.
Sadiq Khan logic!

You realise that all workers who can't work from home have to go to work?

According to my FB Local, our tube station have police stationed outside asking everyone the purpose of their journey. Buses so far unmonitored.

BBC has reported numbers on the Tube down 1/3 on yesterday, and buses down 20%