Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Has the Scottish Executive taken leave of it's senses?

I ask because ChrisD on politicalbetting.com highlighted this article on the BBC.

It appears that the Scottish Executive decided to move Transport for Scotland from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

Well, OK. They have done so for social and economic reasons.

I presume that means that it will end up costing less whilst providing employment in Glasgow. Fair enough so far.

That is until you read the bonkers small print, or in the case of the BBC article most of the story.

Of the 150 people relocated 57 of them appear to get their travel expenses paid but what is more presumably the same people, possibly more or less, get to start work on their commute.

It seems that as soon as they start catching up on "paper work" on the train, they are in the office. Obviously they can leave early as well to make sure they get enough time to catch up on their way home.

Thing is most commuters who need to already have to do this, do so, but start their commute to get in on time.

The train is not a secure place to do confidential work either. However if they can work on the train, why not forget coming into the office at all and work from home? After all with technology as it is today (I know, I set this sort of thing up every day) why travel when you don't have to.

Also the payments for people to stay put draw into question two key issues. The economic and social benefits of the move. There is little economic or social benefit to have an office commute in and out of a given area. It just costs more. If on the other hand they got all the employees to move, then yes that would or rather could have both economic and social benefits.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark, you don't think that the Scottish Exec are maybe the problem here?
They have a duty to provide the best service at an acceptable cost, could you imagine if every business brokered this kind of deal?
I find it amazing that they can justify closing hospital units in rural area's while paying for people's transport costs in the centre belt. Considering the number of people involved, you have to wonder if this option was investigated and found to be the most cost effective?

Benedict White said...

Mark, yes I have been on commuter trains and yes I am aware people work on them (Not a good idea for sensitive stuff).

That is not the point. The point is that a Sussex commuter may work on the train, but does not start work for the purpose of his contract until he gets to the office, and finishes when he leaves, rather than when he gets off the train on his way home!

Anonymous said...

http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?t=21219

The above link will be self explanatory. While the odious SNP carve up the UK and make deals with the Islamic block vote to tactically get rid of any opposition, David Cameron paints a fence in todays Daily Mail.
Where is the teeth of Her Majesty's Opposition.
I'm sorry I cant care about transport just now while these people seek to alter the very fabric of Scotland.