Criminal activity seems to be the reason behind paid parking at Bellville railway station.
“The parking area at Bellville railway station reached a point where criminal activity became the order of the day,” says Marius Wagener from Prasa Cres.
“Drug peddling and theft created an unsafe environment for the commuting and general public parking at Bellville. Prasa appointed a private operator to manage the parking area, with the objective to create a safe and secure parking facility.”
Commuters making use of the parking were charged R600 per month in April and May. After complaints to Metrorail, this was temporarily halted for due processes to be followed. Commuters have since been charged R10 per hour, R40 per day and R600 per month to make use of the parking.
Metrorail in May said it had no knowledge of paid parking. Last week the rail operator said it is not responsible for communicating to commuters any maintenance and construction related matters, that have an impact on their customers.
Wagener says that those making use of the parking where informed on two occasions of the decision to place the parking under private management and be operated as a paid public facility.
The notice is dated 20th June 2017, but Wagener would not comment if one week is sufficient time for a notice where paying for a service is involved, considering they have been aware of it for atleast three months.
Wagener did not respond to queries to confirm the different pricing options.
“The parking facility is not used exclusively by train commuters, but also local business and the general public,” says Wagener.
“The operator however does not charge different rates for commuters and general public.
Metrorail could also not provide a list of all stations with paid parking.
When asked if a commuter willing to pay R20 and make use of the parking for two hours but trains are delayed or cancelled and that commuter arrives four hours later at the parking and now needs to pay R60, if Metrorail is saying it cannot assist its commuters.
Spokesperson, Riana Scott, responded “unfortunately yes. I suppose it is similar to parking at the airport and one’s flight is delayed”.
For transparency, the five questions below were submitted to Wagener on Friday 14 July 2017, to which he has not yet responded:
1. You mention criminal activity and drug peddling that eventually led to this decision. It is an open secret that drug peddling is taking place at Eikenfontein, Brackenfell, Parow and Vasco and those are just four neighbouring stations to Bellville. It is an open secret that Retreat, Netreg, Khayelitsha, Bonteheuwel, Wittebome have the same problem. Yet there is no paid parking to make the environment safe.
In addition to the above commuters from Kuilsriver have been requesting Prasa repeatedly to ensure safe parking at that station and that has been ignored.
Question: what criteria was followed in making this decision and is it because Prasa Cres has offices and your staff, who make use of the parking had complained about the "unsafe" environment?
2. You mention a private operator was appointed, was there a tender out for this and could you give me the dates and publications this was advertised. Can you also confirm that the operator is not related to any senior Prasa official either at Head Office or in the province?
3. The notice (a) has no contact details to confirm that it is legit and (b) is dated 20 June 2017, meaning you only had one week (5 working days) to hand out such notice.
In addition to the above you admit the implementation was postponed in May to 1 July 2017. If decision was thus made in May to implement 1 July 2017, why did it take you almost two months to issue a notice?
4. You indeed correct that businesses in the area also make use of the parking. Businesses however make use of the parking under the bridge and not directly next to the station and Railway Police, where only commuters and Prasa employees park.
5. You mention that the operator is not charging different rates but would appear as if Prasa is not even aware of what rates is being charged. Can Prasa confirm what are the agreed rates per hour, per day and per month and what reimbursement will there be should trains be delayed because of Prasa?
“The parking area at Bellville railway station reached a point where criminal activity became the order of the day,” says Marius Wagener from Prasa Cres.
“Drug peddling and theft created an unsafe environment for the commuting and general public parking at Bellville. Prasa appointed a private operator to manage the parking area, with the objective to create a safe and secure parking facility.”
Commuters making use of the parking were charged R600 per month in April and May. After complaints to Metrorail, this was temporarily halted for due processes to be followed. Commuters have since been charged R10 per hour, R40 per day and R600 per month to make use of the parking.
Metrorail in May said it had no knowledge of paid parking. Last week the rail operator said it is not responsible for communicating to commuters any maintenance and construction related matters, that have an impact on their customers.
The notice is dated 20th June 2017, but Wagener would not comment if one week is sufficient time for a notice where paying for a service is involved, considering they have been aware of it for atleast three months.
Wagener did not respond to queries to confirm the different pricing options.
“The parking facility is not used exclusively by train commuters, but also local business and the general public,” says Wagener.
“The operator however does not charge different rates for commuters and general public.
Metrorail could also not provide a list of all stations with paid parking.
When asked if a commuter willing to pay R20 and make use of the parking for two hours but trains are delayed or cancelled and that commuter arrives four hours later at the parking and now needs to pay R60, if Metrorail is saying it cannot assist its commuters.
Spokesperson, Riana Scott, responded “unfortunately yes. I suppose it is similar to parking at the airport and one’s flight is delayed”.
For transparency, the five questions below were submitted to Wagener on Friday 14 July 2017, to which he has not yet responded:
1. You mention criminal activity and drug peddling that eventually led to this decision. It is an open secret that drug peddling is taking place at Eikenfontein, Brackenfell, Parow and Vasco and those are just four neighbouring stations to Bellville. It is an open secret that Retreat, Netreg, Khayelitsha, Bonteheuwel, Wittebome have the same problem. Yet there is no paid parking to make the environment safe.
In addition to the above commuters from Kuilsriver have been requesting Prasa repeatedly to ensure safe parking at that station and that has been ignored.
Question: what criteria was followed in making this decision and is it because Prasa Cres has offices and your staff, who make use of the parking had complained about the "unsafe" environment?
2. You mention a private operator was appointed, was there a tender out for this and could you give me the dates and publications this was advertised. Can you also confirm that the operator is not related to any senior Prasa official either at Head Office or in the province?
3. The notice (a) has no contact details to confirm that it is legit and (b) is dated 20 June 2017, meaning you only had one week (5 working days) to hand out such notice.
In addition to the above you admit the implementation was postponed in May to 1 July 2017. If decision was thus made in May to implement 1 July 2017, why did it take you almost two months to issue a notice?
4. You indeed correct that businesses in the area also make use of the parking. Businesses however make use of the parking under the bridge and not directly next to the station and Railway Police, where only commuters and Prasa employees park.
5. You mention that the operator is not charging different rates but would appear as if Prasa is not even aware of what rates is being charged. Can Prasa confirm what are the agreed rates per hour, per day and per month and what reimbursement will there be should trains be delayed because of Prasa?
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