Metro de Madrid employees before phase 2: “We are not ready to increase passengers”

Since mid-March Ángel Garrido, Transport Counselor for the Community of Madrid, has often maintained a routine on his Twitter account. Several mornings, first thing in the morning, attests to how many commuters use the Metro. The alarm state emptied wagons and stations. Now, two workers unions maintain that the suburban is not ready to receive more travelers: “Phase 1 crowds are already being seen.”

This phase has also brought some old customs. “They have done graffiti again, pickpockets are back …”, explains Juan Ortiz, spokesman for the Union of Machinists’ Collective. In the first weeks of quarantine, the Metro lost close to 90% of its commuters. Little by little, with Madrid in phase 1 since May 25, the suburban has recovered passengers. The drop in users is around 65% these days.

Both the drivers and the Workers’ Commissions assure that the crowds of passengers have returned. “Until now they were seen at specific moments of failure or delays. Monday was the most normal thing to see crowds on trains and platforms. And not because of breakdowns or delays, but because there are few trains and people in the end have to work, “says Ortiz. The punctual accumulations have been seen, especially, in the morning rush hour and in the exchangers with a large influx of travelers, such as that of Méndez Álvaro.

“The main problem we have, although demand is low, is that the train interval should be as short as possible so that passengers do not accumulate in the stations,” adds Juan Carlos De la Cruz, CCOO Secretary General at Metro. It is also “difficult”, in his opinion, to know how many passengers on a train will get off at each station.

The two travelers per m2

The Government of Madrid has already asked Health to go to phase 2 next Monday, June 8. This new stage further reduces social and economic bans. The opening of shops of any size with a maximum capacity of 40% will be allowed. The restaurants and bars will be able to serve within their premises, although with rules and capacity limits. In phase 2 you can also go, for example, to open-air concerts where the audience is seated and keeps the necessary distance.

There is “a lot of fear” among employees that a lack of commuters will make the Metro a source of infection, according to CCOO

The Metro is the favorite public transport of Madrid residents. The Ministry of Transport requires that no more than half of the seats be occupied and no more than two passengers per square meter. The use of masks, yes, is mandatory. The question is obvious, is the Madrid suburban ready for an increase in commuters? The two unions agree: you are not ready.

“That of two travelers per square meter is impossible (…) Why do they force you to put on masks? Because they are aware that it is impossible to maintain distance, “says De la Cruz. “When we have an increase in passengers, we will return to what happened before Covid-19: lack of trains and personnel,” he adds.

Among the essential services of Metro, says De la Cruz, there is “great fear” that a lack of control of passengers will turn this transport network into a “focus of contagion” in Madrid. To avoid this, they demand that the Executive of Díaz Ayuso carry out, among other things, tests of the entire workforce and not only those who tested positive or return from quarantine. The latest balance sheet handled by the two unions, updated on May 26, speaks of 35 positive employees and 62 suspects.

Controls in rush hour

Metro de Madrid does not share the versions of the unions. “There is no notable incident and, of course, the capacity is being controlled quite well,” they indicate from the suburban. And neither does UGT: «We believe that the measures [de Metro] they are going to bear fruit. This other union estimates that there will be no problems until 65-70% of demand recovers. “Starting in September, with the return of vacations and universities, we believe that demand will increase substantially and more employees will need to be hired,” added sources from the union.

For now, the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM) has deployed eight teams to control capacity at rush hour. These people are distributed in 45 stations on almost all the lines and in the most critical sections: Méndez Álvaro-Pacífico (L6) and Latina-Ópera (L5).

Another device monitors the number of users that circulates at rush hour in at least 14 of the most used stations: Atocha Renfe, Príncipe Pío, Sol, Moncloa or Nuevos Ministerios, among others. Measures that are added to the mask and hydrogel vending machines already installed in the stations. When they enter phase 2, in fact, Metro will return to its normal schedule and will close at 1:30 am.

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