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Jobless pilots becoming train drivers in Auckland
Hundreds of New Zealand pilots have been laid off since airlines were grounded during the global pandemic - and now a group are looking to the railways for employment. So far, 34 pilots have applied to switch wings for the tracks and become train drivers for the city's rail network.
Transdev operates Auckland's commuter rail service, and employs 200 train drivers in the city. Its managing director, Peter Lensink, said he was pleased to be able to offer employment to pilots, whose skills were ideal for driving trains. "I really feel for the pilots who are in this position and I'm really pleased we have an alternative and hope they will adapt to driving a train on a piece of metal instead of flying free up in the air," he said. "We only hire highly skilled people and airline pilots have got similarities to the skills and competencies required as a train driver."
Lensink said both the airline and rail sectors had a strong safety culture and required specific skills, including concentration. A qualified train driver earns just more than $40 an hour. "While it might be more exciting for some people to see Auckland from the air, I think it's even more exciting to see Auckland up close and unfolding in front of you," Lensink said. Although there is one helicopter pilot among Auckland's train drivers, Lensink said this was the first time pilots were being recruited.
"We've got a great opportunity because we are growing and gearing up here in Auckland for the City Rail Link. That will double the amount of services here in four to five years time. We're therefore able to recruit a large number of train drivers for the future." He said there had been a lot of contact between leaders in the airline and railway sectors, including Air New Zealand. "Once the word is out and people see the link between the roles and opportunities the railways have, I expect to see more [pilots] coming into the recruitment process." Lensink said the pilots would go through "intense" recruitment scrutiny - including having eyesight tests - before training in June. Training will be held at the Wiri depot - a stone's throw from Auckland Airport.
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Poll: Is it rude to take a full trolley to self-checkout?
Luckily self-checkout is being pretty common in supermarkets these days and we generally use it to quickly buy a few things without the long lines. But perhaps it's appropriate to head there with your full trolley to skip the lines?
What are your thoughts? Is that rude?
Share in the comments below if this has ever happened to you.
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51.2% Yes!
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45% Nah, it's okay
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3.8% Other - I'll share below!
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Q&A: Ask a question about...Online Safety
Continuing with Neighbourly's online Q&A with experts in their field, this week we are tackling online safety with Jandy Fiske from Netsafe.
Jandy Fiske has been with Netsafe for nearly 8 years. Starting on their helpline, she's now Netsafe's Community Engagement Advisor. Jandy says: 'I'm passionate about online safety because I strongly oppose bullying and want to support those affected by it.'
Jandy is passionate about protecting vulnerable communities and is promoting online safety to ensure no one falls prey to online scams. She can answer your questions about any type of online scams, and also about online harm such as online bullying.
↓ Ask your question below now and she'll be online on Wednesday, 11th September to reply to you ↓
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Happy Monday, neighbours, can you solve this riddle🤔
What has a neck but no head, two arms but no hands?
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