Confidential Human Factors
Incident Reporting Programme
The Charity
Aviation
Maritime
CC6321
Initial Report
The Mayor of London is bringing ULEZ into enforcement in August 2023, the LHR long stay car park is within the charging zone.
HAL have put together a guide to ‘support employees’ however I have concerns regarding one suggested park and Ride and FTL for crew and pilots. This makes a commute that is 90 mins now 140 mins.
I know that this decision is not the companies, but I would like to know if this park and ride impacts at all on our FTL? Also, the facilities/frequencies aren’t sufficient for very early report times/late arrival times.
Park and ride Timetable, in order to make a 0600 report with staff search landside you’d have to catch the 04:18 bus. I don’t think this is viable option for crew from HAL or the company as we are stipulated by commute times unlike our ground based colleagues. The suggested new park and ride location outside the ULEZ would extend the commute by 60mins.
Company Comment
XXX don’t tell people specifically how to commute. Cabin crew sign in to confirm their commute is within the guidelines set out and if this has not been met it is their responsibility to inform a manager.
As part of ULEZ expansion, instigated by the Mayor of London to reduce air pollution, the company has produced a fact sheet of the different options, in conjunction with London Heathrow, available to all staff who commute to the airport. Each will have different roles and responsibilities and should consider these when deciding how to commute. We appreciate that some of the options available will not be suitable for some of our employees.
CAA Comment
The CAA is currently conducting impact assessment of the recent enforcement on the effected aviation sectors.
CHIRP Comment
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is planned to expand across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023. If you drive anywhere within the ULEZ, including the expanded area from 29 August 2023, and your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, you will likely face a daily charge of £12.50. To check if your vehicle meets the emissions standards, visit tfl.gov.uk/check-your-vehicle.
This report was discussed in depth at the CHIRP Cabin Crew Advisory Board meeting in June and the reporter’s concerns were raised with the CAA. We have sympathy with those who have previously ensured that their personal circumstances meet their operators travel requirements and now find that they may face extended journey times or increased costs through no fault of their own. Unite the Union confirmed that they are campaigning at the highest levels for a postponement of the ULEZ program’s implementation until better infrastructure is in place, and we urge those who might be affected to check whether their vehicle is compliant with the ULEZ at the earliest opportunity. It is reported that less than 10% of vehicles will be affected but, if yours is affected, speak with your company/line management to discuss options – they may be able to assist. The ULEZ charge’s financial effects will extend beyond the crew to include all airport staff, which could have an impact on Heathrow’s staffing levels. Low emission zones, commonly known as “clear air zones”, are being implemented in many UK cities, and soon additional airports may also be impacted.
Regarding Flight Time Limitations (FTLs) as per any duty, if you think you could be suffering from the effects of fatigue please ensure you complete a fatigue report and assess whether you are fit to operate the planned duty period. There is a responsibility on each cabin crew member to ensure that should they not be able to perform the duties expected of them, that they report this to their operator.