This statement follows a Metrorail train ride by the DA Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny de Freitas MP and DA Western Cape Metro Chairperson, Grant Twigg, from the Nyanga Train Station to the Cape Town Central Station. De Freitas and Twigg was later joined by DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, and City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Please find attached English soundbites by De Frietas, Mbhele, Smith, Twigg and a commuter. IsiXhosa soundbite by a Metrorail employee and an Afrikaans soundbite by a commuter.
Today, DA public representatives travelled with fellow commuters from Nyanga Train Station to Cape Town Central Station to highlight the current conditions of rail transportation in South Africa.
Commuters on the Cape Town Central Line, specifically, have for years been subjected to crime, vandalism, overcrowding and chronic delays.
The DA spoke to a number of commuters who shared their frustrations with us. Safety remains a major concern for most commuters. They expressed their daily fears of falling prey to violent crime.
According to reports, there are only 89 operational police officers to protect the more than 500 000 commuters travelling by train in the Western Cape. This is far lower than the 571 police officers that were supposedly allocated to the Western Cape, as indicated in a parliamentary reply to the DA.
Due to the continued crises in rail safety, the City of Cape Town, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), and the Western Cape Government signed a memorandum of agreement for the formation of a dedicated enforcement unit which will focus on the safety and security of train commuters and infrastructure. The City and the Provincial government took this initaitive, despite railway safety being a national competency.
From our interactions with passengers, it became clear that they have completely lost faith in the country’s railway services.
Many commuters spoke of how the railway system failed them,as they have very few alternatives available to them when trains break down or are delayed, due to vandalism.
Commuters explained that train transport remains the cheapest alternative due to high fuel prices and limited alternative transport.
The chronic delays on the Central Line have also put job security for many commuters at risk. However, beyond the risk of losing employment, commuters spoke about their children being late for school.
Our interactions with Cape Town train commuters tell the story of how millions of South African train commuters across the country have become subjected to an unreliable public railway system by a detached ANC government.
Unlike the ANC, the DA has a rail plan that will create a safe and well-managed railway system which put commuters first and will ensure job security. The plan is based on four aspects:
- Stabilising and modernising the current rail system
The Public Protector report, “Derailed”, exposed the true extent of the rot at PRASA. The failure of governance at the agency has had a direct impact of public confidence.
One of the reasons for this decline is the issue of security. What is required is a dedicated Railway Police service to take over security operations at train stations.
An urgent update is also required to ascertain the progress which has been made in upgrading the current signal system so that no manual signal is used. This is to prevent further unnecessary instances of crashes and derailment.
- Merge Transnet and PRASA under the Department of Transport
This means all rail-related passenger and freight services should become the direct responsibility of the Minister of Transport. This will streamline decision making and improve planning and integration.
- Ceding control of Metrorail services to Metros
This process will see Metropolitan governments take over Metrorail functions gradually which will ensure integrated public transportation systems and better governance.
In October last year, the Cape Town City Council gave the DA-run metro approval to proceed with its plans to take over the management of the City’s railway services. The Western Cape Government and the City have already committed additional security personal thus ensuring increased protection of commuters and infrastructure at risk.
- Diversifying Ownership
While the state should retain ownership of the infrastructure, the DA calls for the gradual privatisation of some railway operations. This will increase competition and choice for transportation in the rail sector.
The DA’s plan is the only alternative to the ANC’s broken public railway transportation system. Our rail plan will put commuters first and ensure job security because it will be safe, well-run and corruption free.
We are committed to empowering South African public transport commuters and ensuring that the rail transportation system puts the safety of South Africans first