Spore het hoop, maar bied nie kitsoplossings

Dit is nou al amper 40 minute en daar was nog nie eens ’n aankondiging nie. Die treine is al weer laat. Dit raak nou ’n gewoonte – treine is meer laat as wat dit betyds is. Kommunikasie is ook nie een van Metrorail se sterk punte nie, want glo dit of nie – met al die treinkansellasies is daar nog meer treine as aankondigings.

Op die platform wonder ek wanneer kom die verdomde trein, want ek het klaar ’n kaartjie gekoop. Ja, dit is hoe duisende pendelaars baie keer voel en dit is iets wat duisende daagliks in die gesig staar.

Ek raak nou moeg van die gewag en ek weet nie of daar iets gaan kom of nie. Wag, laat ek iemand bel.

Die daaglikse stryd en frustrasies van pendelaars is weens wanbestuur en korrupsie, maar ook swak of eintlik geen beplanning.

Die huidige diens kan jou nie ’n trein wat betyds is verseker nie. Jy is wel verseker van ’n oorvol trein, en nadat jy gesukkel het om in te klim moet jy oor die uitklim begin worry.

Vir dié wat nie treinry nie – dit is iets soos stoei se royal rumble.

Treine op die Wellingtonlyn is met meer as 60 minute laat. Die probleem is glo ‘low overhead power’ tussen Huguenot en Soetendal. Ek is ook herinner daaraan die die spoorlyn tussen Stikland en Wellington en verder aan Transnet behoort.

Dis die ander probleem. Metrorail huur slegs die gebruik van die lyn, maar enige herstelwerk en onderhoud is die verantwoordelik van Transnet.

Net onlangs was daar ’n passasierverwante voorval by Brackenfell. Wellington treine moes via Stellenbosch ry, en dié tussen Kraaifontein en Stikland is aan hul eie genade oorgelaat. Dit was nou totdat ’n kontrole-operateur van Transnet op die toneel gekom het om enkellynwerk te begin. Dis maar net die operateur wat self elke trein van ’n sekere punt tot by die volgende neem.

Ek dink nou – ironies genoeg het ek vroeër vanjaar aan Metrorail se streekbestuur genoem dat hulle meer aandag aan die “vergete” lyn sal moet gee en selfs voorgestel dat ’n senior bestuurder die verantwoordelikheid vir kliëntediens op die lyn gegee word.

Sien, Metrorail het een areabestuurder wat verantwoordelik is vir die sewe stasies tussen Wellington en Muldersvlei. Die aankondigingstelsel en/of luidsprekers by talle van die stasies werk nie, of dié waar dit nie werk nie het nie draagbare luidsprekers nie of daar is nie ’n personeellid om sy of haar lewe te waag en aankondigings op die platform te doen nie.

Wat my dikwels grensloos irriteer is “make use of bridging transport” – net mooier bewoording vir “kry alternatiewe vervoer”.

Dit het my een oggend só op die spore gedryf dat ek Metrorail se kommunikasiebestuurder moes WhatsApp en vra kan hulle nie eerder sê “regrettably Metrorail has no buses available and commuters are advised to arrange their own transport”.

Hoe ironies dat ek dit nou juis in vervoermaand moet noem, want nie net word baie min tot geen aandag aan veral openbare vervoerdienste in landelike gebiede gegee nie, maar baie van die landelike gebiede het geen openbare vervoerdiens nie behalwe vir taxi’s wat jy dalk net tot 18:00, of as jy gelukkig is 19:00, gaan kry.

Kort voor sy aanstelling het die minister van vervoer, Joe Maswanganyi, in ’n parlementêre portefeuljekomitee sy kommer uitgespreek dat Metrorail so baie huurgeld aan Transnet betaal.

Met sy besoek vroeër die maand aan die Kaapstad-stasie saam met Prasa se groepbestuurshoof, Lindikhaya Zide, moes ek net vra wat gedoen word om beter kliëntediens en kommunikasie aan pendelaars op die Wellingtonlyn te verseker.

Metrorail probeer al geruime tyd spore wat aan Transnet behoort, oor te neem. Sake het al só gevorder dat ’n verslag op die tafels van die twee betrokke ministers lê.

Zide het in reaksie gesê Prasa en Transnet gesels oor die oordrag en ander tegniese aspekte en hoop om binnekort ’n aankondiging hieroor te doen.

’n Dag later kondig die Stad Kaapstad weer sy voorneme aan om die bestuur – eintlik die begroting – van Metrorail oor te neem. Terwyl sommige jubel en juig oor die moontlikheid, is dit belangrik om te weet huidige wetgewing, en die nasionale ontwikkelingsplan, weerspreek dit.

Die Stad Kaapstad het ook geen jurisdiksie oor die ander ses munisipale grense waardeur Metrorail ’n passasierspoorvervoerdiens lewer nie.

Ek kan egter nie help om te wonder watter soort diens my medependelaars van Malmesbury, Klapmuts, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, Hermon, Saron, Riebeeck, Ceres, Tulbagh en Worcester sal kry nie.

Hoeveel langer gaan hulle moet wag as dit ’n kontrakteur is wat treine in daardie gebiede bestuur of as daar ’n voorval is? Die stad is dalk nie die oplossing nie en hoe langer Transnet daarmee sloer, hoe langer wag ons.

Ek besef nou ek is buite Kaapstadstasie. Die foutiewe punte of seine êrens by Soutrivier of Woodstock of waar ook al is reggemaak en my trein trek amper 30 minute laat op Kaapstad-stasie in.

Hoewel daar hoop is, blyk dit geen kitsoplossings is op ’n Express-trein vir my en my mede-pendelaars op pad nie.

• Hierdie Post Scriptum opinie het aanvanklik in Paarl Post van 9 November 2017 verskyn.

Metrorail not always to blame

November 2015 will be known as the worst three weeks for Metrorail since the double derailment at the beginning of 2014. Early in November the rail operator announced a section of the Northern Line would be closed for critical maintenance work to be done. 

Ten hours before that section was due to open, I asked - on the WhatsApp group that I have since been removed from – if maintenance work is still on schedule. I was told a section manager is on duty. 

At 9pm I cautioned Metrorail – in the Whatsapp group – that there is no way a normal service would operate that Monday morning and that all possible contingency measures be put in place without any delay.

Sadly and to the biggest inconvenience of thousands of commuters, Metrorail only realised that Monday morning, too late, trains will be delayed. The failure by Metrorail to act sooner and implement better contingency measures led to not only everyone arriving late at work, but many students unable to write their exams.

I wrote to Transport Minister Dipuo Peters stating that the continuous errors are unacceptable. “My email is not a plea to discuss matters in a boardroom but to implement solutions and take action without any delay”. I also asked the minister to request a detailed report and if it shows any wrong doing corrective action being taken. Now this is where I commend the minister for her speedy response and for requesting that report from Prasa. I wish to also apologize to the Prasa Group CEO and Metrorail Regional Manager for changing the agenda of their scheduled meeting.

Thursday 12^th November, Regional Manager, Richard Walker, took two trains with me. Even though he travelled undercover to assess the service for himself, the RM also engaged with commuters. While we both agree it is wrong and dangerous, as a commuter himself he understands why some commuters would keep a train door open. He understands why people smoke on a platform but says Metrorail cannot disobey the law of the country that smoking in public is illegal.

Our second train was delayed by a few minutes and in the ten minutes we were at the station there were no announcements. The Regional Manager called the Acting Customer Service HOD to inform him there are no announcements. He also questioned electronic boards not working, why loud hailers are not used and other issues – some of which have been addressed and solutions implemented, like platform 1 being used at Bellville.

Walker says for some things there are explanations but Metrorail should be honest about the service and not make excuses for it. Communication and customer service is not negotiable; these are things that should be in place. On the train itself we walked through the carriages, with Walker making mental notes since he arrived at the departure station. And to those wondering: yes he bought a ticket at his start station and handed it in at the destination station.

Sadly the rest of the Regional Manager’s management team does not see the importance of them taking a train and engaging with commuters when the service is critical and commuters experience massive delays.

The minister has since received her report and I have been shared some of the content. 

The massive delays the past three weeks is thanks to Transnet who take forever to do maintenance. 

Transnet has not prioritized maintenance work to be done between Paarl and Kraaifontein, repairing vandalism and stolen cables. Have to state though Transnet being centralised is the reason for the delay. One should welcome the maintenance done at Bellville but criticize Transnet for not communicating with Metrorail. 

Had there been better communication between the two SOE’s that Sunday afternoon, things would not have been chaotic the Monday morning.

While Transnet should be held accountable for this month’s chaos, minister Peters and her Public Enterprises counterpart, Lynn Brown, can apply corrective measures. They can do this by approving the transfer of the lines from Bellville to Wellington and Bellville to Strand from Transnet to Metrorail. This will allow Metrorail to not wait on Transnet but do repairs without any delay.

On the interim the solution is what I identified and suggested more than a year ago: better communication to commuters, different Metrorail departments to work together and communicate better and for better communicate to, with and from Transnet. Note the latter should come from Ministerial level and not regional level.

Currently goods trains get preference between Wellington and Bellville and this have on many occasions led to delays of commuter trains when the goods trains fail in section.

Things that neither Metrorail/Prasa nor Transnet will admit though is that money speaks and Transnet will get preference as they generate more income than Prasa – even if every single person in the overcrowded train have a valid ticket.

So what is the solution? Government will have to decide what is more important: freight or people. What should be kept in mind when answering the question is that the thousands of commuters on trains contribute towards the economy and every minute many of us are late, not only do we lose out on income but our employers lose out on production and the economy ultimately suffers.

Metrorail is not always to blame, but Metrorail should take responsibility for their customers and account.

Metrorail gets revenue and commuters?

Metrorail on 12 June 2015 decided to drop the bombshell and announce their intention to increase ticket prices from July 1^st. 

Now this came as no surprise to me as I was engaged prior to this announcement but I also knew last year it was coming – in fact I’ve known for the past 5 years.

Before I try and become harsh on Metrorail for the increase, let me first try and be objective and share the following that comparing to 2014 there has been some of improvement: 

• Speed restrictions that were imposed early last year have been lifted at most of the sections.
• Morning and even evening cancelled trains came down from 14/15 at a time to three/four (not ideal but it is an improvement).
• Security is my biggest concern and with Metrorail not immune to social challenges, there has been an increase in guards on trains – again not what it should be but an improvement. The challenge now is to get the railway police back on our trains, preferably times and areas most vulnerable.

Why the increase:

Besides the obvious fact that everything is increasing, Metrorail for three/four years had no fare increase and this led to a 16% increase when they eventually had to implement one (something I as a commuter would not want again). The then management made a commitment towards commuters to never place such a huge burden on them again, but to do that annual increases are needed.

Maybe worth mentioning that it is Prasa and not Metrorail who decide on fare prices, although Metrorail gives input. Also worth mentioning that following last year’s outcry, for the first time, the minister of transport this year wanted to see the fare increases and Prasa had to justify them – she is yet to sign off on them.

 

Metrorail is like any other business and a household, who has to make money to survive. With the announcement the Regional Manager stated they taking a pro-poor pricing strategy for weekly and monthly ticket prices. This means Metro-users (third class) pay for only 6.5 trips per week but have the option of 14 trips including weekends. Metro monthly tickets are priced at 3.1 weeks travel but your ticket allows you to travel for 4weeks.

Considering old assets beyond their design life, obsolete technology and extensive open system vulnerable to vandalism, land invasion, service protests and vagrancy that contribute to the maintenance burden – yes an increase is needed.

Expectation:

Ideally I would have wanted the transport minister to ask Treasury and public enterprises for a bigger cut of the pie and joint venture to fast-track the improvement of our old rail infrastructure.

Seeing as train tracks beyond Stikland and most of the tracks beyond Kuilsriver on the Northern Line belong to Transnet, I would also expect the transport and public enterprises ministers to be bold enough to transfer those tracks to Metrorail to ensure better service, as their hands are currently tied. 

Having said that too many freight trains operate in commuter peak-time and even though goods trains bring in more revenue than commuter trains, the two ministers can make a decision for freight trains not to operate in commuter peak – as the past year have seen too many of them fail in section leading to commuter trains being delayed for up to three hours.

What Metrorail cannot ignore:

Metrorail’s biggest challenge remains customer service communication – I comfort myself with the fact that the Regional Manager not only understands the importance of this but also the frustration of thousands of commuters and is trying his best to make sure this is being addressed. 

It is also comforting to know the Regional Manager occasionally takes a train “undercover” and addresses issues like no announcements, electronic boards that are off, etc.

Metrorail has stated the fare increase is unavoidable. Let’s be honest so is train cancellations, delays, vandalism, defective tracks, trains failing in-section (I do hope and pray though no derailment) the next few months, and thus should proactive communication also be unavoidable.

It is highly unlikely that there will be no increase, so it should be highly unlikely there should be an hour with no customer communication (should be comforting for the tech savvy to know we still have GoMetro and @CapeTownTrains to keep us informed - last mentioned made some major improvements past few months and should be deployed to assist the struggling Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal regions)

Metrorail is going to get their revenue (with the increase), so now us commuters should get better more proactive customer service communication.

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?

Checking Metrorail's tickets

I have been criticizing Metrorail for some time and frankly I’m not yet planning on stopping to help them create a better service.

See I was once told I should be the change I want to see, and I’m really trying hard in helping Metrorail create the change I want to see by being an active commuter who:

1. Tap them on the shoulder when they do something good – not really a lot of those moments, but they there.
2. Share information with Metrorail that could help them better their service and this would include incidents on a train or line or station – they just have to do the follow-up.
3. Criticize them to better their service, especially customer service and communication.
4. Share information and assist fellow commuters with information.

I’ve written a few blogs on Metrorail and the terrible service. I’ve admitted that changing the system will not happen overnight and a better rail infrastructure will not appear as cable theft increases. There are three things Metrorail can implement and make a priority ASAP, for this to happen the different departments within the rail operator should work more integrated.

With the above as background, in November I was challenged to one day in peak time check train tickets at Cape Town station.

Obviously I was nervous, who wouldn't be, if you check the small font on the tickets.

I was given training, for about 5 minutes – due to security reasons I cannot give more details on this.

While I have new respect for ticket verifiers, my opinion on the way they work has not changed though.

I enjoyed the experience and learned a few exciting things. It was also exciting to see such friendly and some really grumpy faces early in the morning.

Checking all the info on a ticket, counting and greeting makes it a challenge to say how many people come pass you. All I know is that atleast seven trains stopped and those commuters came pass me – and this is not even adding those entering Cape Town station going to platforms. I would say I counted about 30 to 40 if not 45 tickets per minute, almost at the average, for a rookie.

Now that I have been to Metrorail’s operational centre, taken a trip on their Tourism Train and even check tickets, I have a few other things on my list to experience with Metrorail.

Metrorail's Year of Chaos

We host one of the Seven Wonders of the World and this year Cape Town was also the World Design Capital, unfortunately two days after the annual Cape Town Carnival, thousands were stranded and frustrated when trains were delayed by more than an hour.

The mess took place because a train derailed, a week after Transport minister, Dipuo Peters, took a train and engaged with commuters.

Back in March I wrote that Monday 17 March is probably a day Metrorail staff and commuters would not like to see be repeated – unfortunately it was.

On numerous occasions I’ve said that with our old infrastructure and stock, we will probably see more delays and who really knows when the new trains will be operational.

Metrorail’s year in a nutshell can only be described as chaos. The only good story would possible be GoMetro (which is not operated by Metrorail) and then there’s the Twitter handle @CapeTownTrains.

Metrorail’s overall communication though was not up to standard, definitely something a commuter should not count on (I’m trying not to use the words incompetent). The fact that their website had a slow death is not helping them either. Besides the lack of communication, there’s also a lack of senior staff when all hell breaks loose…

I was privileged enough to visit Metrorail’s Operational Centre, I also build extremely good relationships with Metrorail staff and was even described by Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters’ as Metrorail’s number one critic (and I haven’t failed at doing that).

Despite their Year of Chaos, senior Metrorail staff still fails to understand the frustration of commuters when trains are delayed. This statement I make because not once when trains were delayed for more than 30minutes, did any senior manager of Metrorail/Prasa take a train with commuters.

EMPTY PROMISES

On Tuesday 25^th March, former Regional Manager Mthura Swartz announced safety critical interventions. There were no time frames and deadlines and the four months added later, was clearly missed. Other measures announced:

• Metrorail in a way stabilized the railway network, but was hit by cable theft and their response: we apologise for the inconvenience.
• The commuter I am, expected atleast better customer service and communication, I’m still waiting on that.
• A second train for Worcester was also announced, and we still waiting on that empty promise.
• Their sms system was revived, and I can actually understand why it had a slow death – it’s more delayed than trains.
• The Twitter handle has moved from updating every 20 to 30 minutes to more frequently and even engage with commuters (atleast something Metrorail can be proud of).
• Despite recommending that the MyLine be used more proactive, it is now being advertised and handed out. I still feel it is a waste of money.

Metrorail’s problem is not having an integrated policy/strategy for their departments and a Customer Services and Communication sections in it. This I told them in April.

I also shared with them not to complicate things and give certain technical information with illustrations and images. There’s slow progress with this though.

I also advised Metrorail to be more honest with commuters and there’s even progress with this.

FREE WI-FI

In June free Wi-Fi at Cape Town station was promised and I welcomed this by saying Metrorail cannot promise a reliable service in 2014, they could promise better communication and customer service and give the Wi-Fi as some sort of compensation.

As we know better communication, customer service and Wi-Fi are all delayed with the trains.

Cables were installed and there’s actually Wi-Fi on Cape Town station, but due to some issues and Metrorail’s forever red tape, this is not announced.

Wi-Fi is not and can never be a substitute for the poor service, Metrorail should be applauded for the initiative though – that’s once they decide to implement it

Despite Metrorail’s missed opportunity, Metrorail’s delay, Lack of Communication, empty WiFi promise, they do have a good story to tell, their RailTourism train.

While I might have lost hope in some senior staff, it is Metrorail’s good story and my continuous interaction with senior Metrorail staff that I still have hope.