And some say MP's are lazy work shirking buggers…

[motorbiking]

Mandatory union membership, good thing that is illegal.

 

[RandomGrinch]

and battle constant traffic, you cannot relax for a second, behind the wheel. Even when at the bus stops, they are dealing with fares, passengers, and their needs. Worth treble what they pay train drivers, able to relax and almost fall asleep in the cab - they even have/need equipment fitted, to remind them to stay awake.

You've got this partially backwards - have a read through some RAIB and AAIB reports (there are similar aspects in aviation) - so much of this comes down to human factors.
Train drivers need to fully concentrate on their job, despite what may be an uneventful and even hypnotic task.
Part of the train drivers skill set is to remain constantly vigilant - AWS and driver vigilance devices won't always save you (i.e. automatic systems couldn't have prevented the Salisbury tunnel crash etc.).

Yes, you can not 'relax for a second' as a bus driver, but we need train drivers to concentrate at all times, when it would be all to easy for them not to.

...and I haven't driven buses, but I have driven minibuses as part of my work.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

does she want more pay?

Is that a serious comment ?

I've never known any worker ask to be paid less

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mandatory union membership, good thing that is illegal.

Now, maybe..

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

You've got this partially backwards

I don't think so...

Train drivers need to fully concentrate on their job, despite what may be an uneventful and even hypnotic task.
Part of the train drivers skill set is to remain constantly vigilant - AWS and driver vigilance devices won't always save you (i.e. automatic systems couldn't have preventwd the Salisbury tunnel crash etc.).

Bus drivers, or in fact anyone who drives, will often have far too much to concentrate on. Many drivers struggle to filter what is important, from what is not.

Train drivers, by contrast, have lashings of time and plenty of warning to deal with things, under normal circumstances. Under abnormal circumstances, stopping distances are so long, that quick reactions are simply pointless.

 

[RandomGrinch]

I don't think so..

Ok, if you don't think so.

have a read through some RAIB and AAIB reports

But, if Independent reports suggest that many rail accidents are caused by loss of concentration, or tiredness - would you rather a train driver who could fully concentrate despite the monotony, or one that was...

able to relax and almost fall asleep in the cab - they even have/need equipment fitted, to remind them to stay awake.

 

[denso13]

Yes, their wages have fallen compared to cost of living.

So have the train drivers with their latest increase, a below inflation wage rise. Labour bending over indeed....

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

But, if Independent reports suggest that many rail accidents are caused by loss of concentration, or tiredness - would you rather a train driver who could fully concentrate despite the monotony, or one that was...

So, do they really need to be paid much more than bus drivers, to help them stay awake and concentrate?

 

[JohnD]

So, do they really need to be paid much more than bus drivers,

What do you think bus drivers get paid?

 

[carmanmemoranda]

So, do they really need to be paid much more than bus drivers, to help them stay awake and concentrate?

Should everybody be paid the same ?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What do you think bus drivers get paid?

I don't think, I know around 24 - 26K, for doing a very stressful and frustrating job..

 

[denso13]

I don't think, I know around 24 - 26K, for doing a very stressful and frustrating job..

Do you think bus drivers should get more than care workers who can administer life saving medication?

 

[RandomGrinch]

So, do they really need to be paid much more than bus drivers, to help them stay awake and concentrate?

Yes, maybe.
Additionally, however,

but try driving a train with the ultimate responsibility for the lives of up to 700 passengers; at speeds of up to 125mph; trying to keep to a timetable; trying to drive economically and comfortably for the passengers; having the route knowledge to know every signal, crossing, stopping point and speed limit; having to know the railway rulebook inside out; having to deal with unexpected situations and mechanical issues; and having to maintain absolute concentration for hours on end, knowing that a SPAD could end your career; and then to top it off, you have idiots trespassing, crossing the lines and those that for some unknown reason decide to end it all by jumping out in front of your train

Also being responsible for a vehicle costing £3 million, weighing around 500 tonnes (9 car class 802 for example), and with the consequences of getting something wrong potentially costing millions in infrastructure repairs, 1000's of tonnes of freight delays and 1000's of commuter delays,

...that also may have something to do with it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Do you think bus drivers should get more than care workers who can administer life saving medication?

We are not discussing care workers, rather it is bus drivers, versus train drivers, however - yes, I do think care workers are massively undervalued, based upon what they do. The thing is, there is a cheap source of labour, willing to do the job, so the job pays little.

Not many jobs attract a genuinely accurate salary, for what the job really involves. Some jobs pay far more than their true value to society, like train drivers, some pay much less, like care workers. How would you go about making it fair.

 

[Notch7]

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