Has Metrorail lost the plot & compassion?

Metrorail Western Cape experienced their worse day in the past 3 years yesterday and the funny thing is they could have avoided it if someone took ownership, responsibility and had the courage to stand up and lead – unfortunately their leadership skills are on one of the trains that are delayed.

Two things frustrated me: that they could have avoided the chaos and no senior management were on trains, even though they knew trains would be delayed for more than an hour.

This led to me first sending an email to the Regional Manager and his senior team and then to the minister of transport, Dipuo Peters. Here’s an extract of both:

Email to Metrorail Regional Manager

Drivers don’t have any communication with operations and at least two trains are standing outside Brackenfell, while buses are at the station, not transporting commuters

Now I would like to know:

1) Which bright spark at Metrorail decided to approve one line to be open, after operations decided Wellington trains will go via Stellenbosch on the Muldersvlei Line? Surely it does not take a rocket scientist to know that if there was a derailment a line will be closed and fixing that line will take hours - even if one line is open. Why still have all trains go that route and cause trains to be delayed by up to 3/4 hours.

If those trains went via Stellenbosch they would have been delayed by max 60 minutes.

2) Why would drivers have no communication with Operations? We live in 2015 and everyone has a cellphone so no communication should be the last of Metrorail's silly excuses.

3) Why is the Regional Manager and ALL his HOD's not on Wellington trains explaining to commuters the chaos and assisting.

Here's a quick reality check:

(a) There are parents on those trains who will have to pay their Day Care mothers extra (per hour) because Metrorail again failed to plan better.

(b) There are people on those trains who missed out on opportunities thanks to Metrorail.

(c) There are people on those trains who will sign warning letters and face disciplinary action because Metrorail thought it could operate with one line.

Dear Regional Manager, you have in the past six months failed to publicly hold anyone responsible for incompetent decisions or take full responsibility for chaos on the lines, my humble request is that you not let this opportunity pass and not hold staff accountable!

Email to Minister Peters:

Currently Metrorail Western Cape is in chaos and the management is refusing to admit they have made errors today.

A Metrorail Western Cape HOD told me that even though there are managers at the station, Head of Departments don't get on trains (to engage with commuters) on the chaos. The HOD maintained this even after I said not even the Customer Services and Communication HOD's. People have been on trains this evening for four hours and the statement by a senior Prasa employee is TOTALLY unacceptable.

Metrorail was well aware of this chaos, and could have avoided this. Still their senior management don't see it important for them to be on a train engaging commuters and then I ask myself has this really become a money making business with NO human factor.

HAS METRORAIL NOW REALLY LOST THE PLOT AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO COMPASSION FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN/WOMAN?