Tube rumble

The strange thing about the cries of joy and pain inspired by Transport for London's plans to introduce driverless trains on to the Underground is that it has driverless trains already. Doesn't it? Well, it depends what you mean by a driver. Trains on three London Underground lines - the Central, Victoria and Jubilee - already use automatic train operation (ATO) systems which, in the eyes of some, mean that the man in the cab at the front does little more than push a couple of buttons to make the train start and open the carriage doors. But the RMT's general secretary Bob Crow doesn't see it that way at all. Writing at Comment is Free , he lambasted the plans - discussed at Wednesday's TfL board meeting ( see agenda item 5 ) - and argued that fully-automated trains with drivers replaced by Docklands Light Railway-style "train attendants" mean less safety for passengers, especially if numbers of station staff are reduced. Of course, the underlying battle is about the power of the Tube unions, Crow's RMT in particular. Conservative politicians long to see them crushed, largely because of their willingness to take industrial action over pay and conditions (though my view is that Tube strikes, vexing though they are, are far from the most pressing of London's transport problems). The unions contend that the Tube's bosses and Tory mayor are far too preoccupied with reducing costs. Two things to bear in mind: firstly, TfL's proposed "driverless" future is ten years away; secondly, train attendants can join the RMT too. Even if tomorrow's Underground is driverless by any definition, the Tube unions will still be around. The Guardian on London Boris Johnson on collision course with unions over Tube plans Bob Crow: London Underground's blueprint for disaster Boris Johnson's cycling policies: putting the motorist first Livingstone says Boris co-operates with 'stealth' removal of poor First Olympic Park neighbourhood could contain community land trust Funding fears over anti-gang drive as knife crime figures rise Full Guardian coverage of Occupy London Lord Foster reveals £50bn Thames Hub project Westminster council U-turn saves soup runs for homeless 'Gangland killing' near south London funeral Southbank's Olympic event to showcase art, poems and pop-up proms Book review: Londoners, by Craig Taylor Book review: You Can't Say That, by Ken Livingstone London blogosphere Darryl Chamberlain on a long, long-running regeneration scheme: I had a wander around Kidbrooke's Ferrier Estate as it slowly comes down. It was prompted by a local newspaper story about a woman who claimed she'd been driven into mental illness as the estate was demolished around her. There's far fewer than six months ago, but there are people still living on the Ferrier, in isolated pockets, while the old 1970s blocks come crashing down. Poignant portrait, with photos too. Now read on . Coming up Next week's City Hall highlight will be Wednesday morning's transport plenary with the mayor and Transport for London boss Peter Hendy being asked awkward questions about, among other things, the emotional matter of cyclists' safety on London's roads. The morning before that, the chair and chief executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company will be asked awkward questions too, in their case about the future of the Olympic stadium. Awkwardness all over the place. Sounds good to me.