So, now all the pilot needs for the ATPL is 170 hours (?) pilot in command
Nope, just 70, the rest is ICUS.
The ICUS issue is starting to cause some concern in some of the regionals. Unlike QANTAS where a Cadet will fly 10'000 hrs as an FO before holding enough seniority for a command, in the regionals their number will arrive (and have arrived) after 2.5-3 years. This has already caused problems and has required in some airlines for the command requirements to be raised so that the cadets can be held out of the Captain seat for a little longer.
The raising of the command requirement has caused a backlash from the Cadets who 'deserve' a command, as they have done their time with the company.
Just to clarify, the ICUS time is not logged while playing the roll of Captain, it is simply logged whenever the FO is pilot flying. Nothing else changes.