Question For Trekkers

[The Valkyrie]

I’m assuming that due to the limited space available on a runabout, and the fact that the entire crew seems to be needed on the surface, that we see it regularly because a more automated system is required.

I would suspect that the larger ships are capable of doing it, but they have crew do it manually in case something goes wrong.

Anyway, what would transporter techs do all day?

Oh big ship can do automated transports like site to site transports and you hit the nail on the head on the safety comment .

I thought about site to site transports after I posted.

Yes, you are correct that they were used to both transport within a ship and to other vessels/planets.