Does Metrorail have a future in SA?
With all the doom and gloom invading the rail service in Cape Town, is there any hope for the future of Metrorail?
Why is Metrorail failing?
Over the years, the services that Metrorail provides its users has been on a downward spiral. Trains always arrive late and commuter safety is a serious problem.
The United National Transport Union expressed their worry over the safety of their train drivers. There have been twelve attacks on Metrorail officials in the Western Cape in 2017.
In June this year, two trains set alight due to train delays.
According to Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Brett Herron, only four out of ten trains arrived on time. This is compared to the international norm of 80% of trains being on time.
“Commuters have been, and are still, fleeing from passenger rail as they cannot rely on the trains to travel to and from work,” explains Herron.
Metrorail is run by Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), who is, in fact, part of the national government. Although it is the national government’s responsibility to ensure that the rail system is working, this has been unsuccessful.
“The city cannot sit back and wait for the National Government to intervene because time is of the essence. A sense of urgency is required, as is a plan of action,” explains Herron.
It has been announced that the City of Cape Town will gradually take over the management and operations of Metrorail.
“The city’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) devised a business plan which stipulates how we intend to take over passenger rail in a structured and incremental manner. The take-over must happen gradually so that the city can plan ahead, acquire the necessary skills, and develop the additional capacity to ensure the long-term sustainability of passenger rail.”
Given the go-ahead
On 26 October 2017, the council approved the plan and the plan has since been sent to the national government for approval.
Although the city’s plan has been partially approved, Metrorail and Prasa have yet to respond to the city. This approval process could take between two to three years to be completed.
“Despite indications from Metrorail and Prasa management that they support the proposal, we have been unable to get them to commit to moving it forward. That offer still stands. I reiterate that the city supports the incorporation of Metrorail into the city’s existing public transport network and that we will pursue the assignment of the urban rail function to the city,” explains Herron.
The future of Metrorail
If the city’s plan is approved by the national government, they plan to change the way that the rail system is run. The city plans to ensure that Metrorail is commuter-centred so that travelling by train becomes the preferred choice.
“As the contracting authority, the city will be able to determine the performance standards for service providers. In so doing we will be able to monitor performance, to penalise operators and service providers for non-compliance when standards are not adhered to, or even cancel contracts when there is a breach,” adds Herron.
Continue reading the full, original article on www.compareguru.co.za.
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