Metrorail: It's a crisis, but there is a plan

Damages to the rail infrastructure is what we can see but what about the damages to people’s lives who are unable to get to work or home.

These the words of Western Cape Transport Minister Donald Grant, who says commuters should be the number one priority.

Prasa Acting Group CEO, Cromet Molepo, during a media tour to Metrorail’s notorious Central Line says there is a plan…

The tour comes hours after a test train derailed, shortly before the line would have been reopened after it was closed for more than a week. The closure was due to a labour dispute, following the fatal shooting of an armed security guard and destruction of two substations, that are needed to ensure trains can move.

For years little investment took place in passenger rail, and from the little that was invested some went to the wrong pockets.

Current management inherited a system falling apart and as if that was not enough to deal with, crime and gang related activities in various communities have started to not only affect but spill over onto the tracks.

On 12 January I wrote in an article trains are a national crisis. Prasa for the first time in a statement admitted “national intervention is needed”. A few days later ANC member of the WCPP Standing Committee on Transport, Cameron Dugmore, also said “we should consider the situation a national crisis”.

In another article on 17 January I mention the train system can come to a halt in the province. Vandalism and cable theft already started to spread to other lines, and if nothing is done there will be no movement on any of the lines.

Nana Zenani, spokesperson for Prasa, says if we don’t learn from Bonteheuwel and Khayelitsha the system can collapse.

“It is not only cable theft taking place but vandalism of infrastructure and staff and commuters that are robbed and whose lives are in danger.”

During the Central line media tour, deputy director-general for rail at the department of transport, Mathabatha Mokoena, stop short of saying passenger rail is a national crisis. Instead he admitted passenger rail is in a critical state. According to him DoT is committed to preventing trains coming to a standstill and if needs be budget adjustments will be done and even additional funding be asked from Treasury.

Cosatu in the Western Cape have also express their concern for the safety of commuters. “Everyone should be working together to ensure a safe rail environment,” says Tony Ehrenreich, provincial secretary.

Head of SAPS railway police, Maj.-gen. Michael Mohlala, says they will be working more closely with Metrorail to clampdown on cable thieves.

Mohlala said that in future, cable theft crime scenes will be completely sealed off by forensics officers, fingerprints will be taken and compared with metals sold to scrap metal dealers.

Previously, the crime scenes had been walked over by the repairmen and no clues were left.

When asked about deployment of officers on trains, especially during peak, Mohlala said he already requested that deployment of officers be done in accordance to the needs of the rail operator.

Most notably absent was not only City of Cape Town Mayco Member for Transport, Brett Herron, but also ward councillors in the affected area.

When asked about ward councillors who are the first contact with communities, not being invited, Prasa GCEO said he was not part of organizing committee but asked that all stakeholders be invited.

MEC Grant in his speech made mention of including the city. “We all need to work together and pull in the same direction.”

Chairwoman of the Cape Business Chamber, Janine Myburgh, was present. Prasa appealed to her for the chamber to engage their members, considering the state of the railway service, not to dismiss employees for late arrival because of train delays

When asked if he’s satisfied with and the level of communication to commuters, Molepo before I could complete my question said: “No, I can never be. Not if I look at the amount of complaints”.

There seems to be no clear deadlines for what is planned, nor is Prasa giving more detailsMolepo’s response is: “we cannot reveal the details of our plan. Criminals are clever, they watch TV, listen to radio and read”.

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Metrorail's new shock

I haven’t penned anything about Metrorail for a few weeks now... Feels like months!
I have been engaging with Metrorail Western Cape on a daily basis though and had a visit to the regional manager, wait former regional manager Mthura Swartz, twice already. An announcement on Friday 30 May is forcing me to write this though.

I should start with the announcement has nothing to do with Swartz leaving Cape Metrorail. He was one of the best regional managers the parastatal has had in the past few years and acknowledges the importance of communication and also engaged with commuters. This is a legacy that I personally hope his successor, Richard Walker, will continue. Apparently I’m meeting him once he’s here, because I’m Metrorail’s biggest critic. I’ve vowed to teach him how to communicate with commuters and tweet.

Anyway……

In March, after a third train derailed that caused a massive headache for Metrorail with massive delays, leaving thousands of commuters frustrated, I wrote four blogs. In one of those blogs I said the harsh reality is that ticket prices will increase in July and that is unfortunately the case. Train fare increases

As a commuter I cannot, nor will I ever support the increase of ticket fares, while trains are delayed on a daily basis.

Having visited Metrorail and engaging with the outgoing RM and other senior staff, I understand the dilemma Metrorail Western Cape is in and also, that they have to generate an additional income to deliver a credible service.

It is also important that commuters take note it is not Metrorail Western Cape who decided on the increases, but Prasa. To tell me new trains will be operational by the first semester of 2016 and that all lines in Cape Town will have free wi-fi are not making things better.

I cannot blame Metrorail Western Cape for the increases but I do wonder what happened to the increases the past few years? They were not used for the recently announced emergency interventions to better the service.

How and did the current management explain to the Prasa executive the current situation in the Western Cape and that not increasing fares this year would be a better/safer bet?

I have also not yet received an answer from Metrorail/Prasa Management if they would decline a salary increase this year until all the constant delays were sorted out!

What is the answer? Well besides the minister’s urgent intervention to ensure commuters benefit and not Prasa from the delays? It would be best if Prasa revise their decision to increase fares and keep it the same for atleast another year.

Since March: Metrorail staff were held hostage, frustrated commuters stormed the offices more than once, more than one train have been torched; stoned and staff assaulted (some even ended in hospital). If the minister and Prasa really cared about both staff and the commuter it is these factors that would make them call an emergency meeting to revise the decision increase ticket tariffs. Guess their response is what they think of staff and commuters