By Andy McCue, 11 January 2006 13:20
NEWS
Trials of airport-style body-scanning technology and high-tech CCTV systems are to begin at London's Paddington railway station from Thursday this week as part of the government's attempts to reduce the risk of terrorist bomb attacks on the capital's transport network.
The four-week trial, announced by the government last year following the 7 July suicide bomb attacks in London, will involve passengers using the Heathrow Express rail link from the airport to Paddington station and will be voluntary.
Passengers who agree to be screened at Paddington during the trial will pass through a metal box containing a millimetre wave-imaging technology that can detect items such as guns, ammunition or bombs hidden beneath clothing.
The checks will be carried out by armed police and are expected to take no longer than just over a minute each. Police can increase or reduce the number of checks according to the security threat level.
Luggage will also be screened, using a traditional x-ray machine, while a new high-tech CCTV camera system is being tested which alerts security staff to unattended luggage or suspicious behaviour by passengers.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has already ruled out installing this kind of technology across the whole transport network because of the cost and disruption to commuters but he claims the scanners could be effective in limited deployments at strategic points on the network.
The New York Metropolitan Transport Authority has also recently invested $212m in upgrading its security and surveillance systems for the city's subway network. Thousands of cameras and sensors will be installed at platforms and subway stations as part of a sophisticated electronic surveillance and threat detection infrastructure, while mobile phone coverage will be extended underground across the public transport network to aid communications in any emergency situation.
Comments
There are 6 comments. Join the discussion
1. Graham
This is nothing more than a publicity-generating Big Waste of Public Money, and is completely irrelevant in the fight against terrorism.
The transport networks will continue to be vulnerable until every point of entry is covered by this type of security. As that's not even on the cards, the whole exercise is surely pointless?
Public money could be, and should be, better spent elsewhere.
2. anonymous
Currently there are several trains that have luggage storage compartments at the front of some carriages. It seems to me that people are aware of un-attended luggage within the carriage seeting areas but these compartments wouldn't and don't raise any concern from travellers.
Should these luggage compartments be removed. It feels safer that they are.
3. anonymous
The most alarming things about this are
1) that governmetn are stupid enough to believe this reduces the overall threat, which it does not - it merely moves it elsewhere
2) that the public are either naive or gullible enough to be be taken in and let government waste their money in this way.
4. anonymous
Random sample testing does have a deterrent effect, particularly if combined with the "behaviour" CCTV.
There are two options:
Equip all stations with empty booths and then install mobile equipment in a few on a random unannounced pattern.
Introduce mobile equipment, preferable round a corner, and observe the people, who try and avoid it.
I would like to see research into a device that is able to detonate any explosives passing through the field. If people pass through,one by one, then the destruction of the would be terrorist would be achieved without harm to anyone else! (Ok I've read too much sci-fi!)
5. Adam Finch
So are we expected to believe that this will protect us from terrorists?
This is nothing more than conditioning for the planned future FULL-ON Big Brother Implementation. This will include Biometrics, Microchips, Retina Scans, cameras everywhere watching each and every move you make. I'm sorry but this is UNACCEPTABLE in a free society. Did we the people really agree to all this tracking and monitoring? I know for a fact that I didn't agree to this, or indeed want this.
Has anyone asked why the government is hellbent on taking away our liberties with such expensive and INVASIVE scanning and checking system?
We will never be safe from the terrorists as they are controlled by the government. Always have, and always will be.
Don't start screaming CONSPIRACY THEORY either, this is Conspiracy FACT.
We have to FIGHT the implementation of Big Brother, I do not want to be watched, scanned, tracked and traced 24/7 as I am a free, tax-paying citizen of planet earth not some droid or slave that can be manipulated by the government.
6. tommo
This blatant disregard for all that democracy stands for is getting beyond a joke. Spend millions on CCTV cameras, which when required in a terrorist investigation, such as the 07/07 bus bombing, its "oh sorry, the cameras weren't working today". Why has noone followed this through- it's not coincendence, your government is LYING to YOU....everyday!! It all started with the sickening 9-11 attacks in NYC.
Bush and his administration killed 3000 of their own INNOCENT citizens and proceeded on an ILLEGAL invasion of Iraq with the full backing of our spineless PM (Mr.Blair). Our underground gets attacked by someone attaching explosives to the UNDERSIDE of the carriages (read the facts people), and we are supposed to LISTEN to these EVIL LEADERS because they can keep us safe. Trust me they can't and they won't. Our freedoms are one of the main obstacles to these people, they get in the way. Just look at Hitler and know that he could have done everything he did, legally, if he had had the Patriot Act. Please everyone WAKE UP and realise that we are GIVING them our liberty for security and we WILL end up losing both.
There is so much more i could say, but deal with this first, don't trust them, for Gods sake!