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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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?