Metrorail's Bellville secret

Overcrowding at Bellville station on a typical winters day, with all exits open and electronic notice boards working.

The secrecy regarding Prasa/Metrorail doesn’t stop with their whole make-over.

It would appear as if majority of staff are in the dark as to just what building is under construction at Bellville. Metrorail, oops Prasa, will move their operational centre (currently on Cape Town station) to Bellville station.

Now one could ask if this move is being done to restore the confidence in the ailing railway service amongst commuters on that line. Taking into account that Metrorail cannot see what is going on, on tracks beyond Stikland and moving the operational centre closer to stations they cannot see, staff and commuters might have more confidence.

Personally I think they are making a big mistake and should rather have spent the money on equipment at the current CMOCC as well as on security – would appear as if like customer service, security is not that important – for commuter’s atleast.

The other issue with Bellville is that the current construction goes against building regulations and I’ve pointed this out to Metrorail, who basically ignored my email.

Currently there is only one subway with one entrance/exit commuters can use.

Should anything happen at Bellville station and there need to be an emergency evacuation; hundreds will not make it, because there’s only one exit. And anyone who has been in that subway in peak-time would understand my statement. (it’s even impossible for me to make a video and add it to this blog)

When raising this issue with the current station manager, she indirectly admitted that it is something Metrorail failed to take note of and raise and I should know construction is not being done by Metrorail.

Now this made me ask her, so you who manage and work at the station everyday could give no input! There is a delay on that answer.

boards at Century City also off.

To make matters worse, electronic boards at the station are out of order, due to the construction work. But typical Metrorail there was no planning for this as there are nowhere on the station a notice apologising for the inconvenience and saying notice boards are not working.

It took Metrorail a month to admit electronic notice boards are out of order.

While I wonder, I also know not the Regional Manager, or any of his HOD’s, the Area Manager or the mentioned station manager has walked on those platforms since construction started. 

If they have, they would have known the seriousness of the situation and had contingency plans in place by now – this is now if one would assume they really care about commuters.