DA hands memorandum to PRASA demanding rail safety now

30 January 2019

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Provincial Leader, John Moodey, the DA Team One South Africa Spokesperson on Corruption, Phumzile Van Damme, and the DA Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny De Freitas, handed a memorandum to Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). The DA was joined by numerous activists and concerned citizens to call for the urgent implementation of an emergency safety plan on our railways and the modernisation of rail infrastructure among other things.

This past week the DA conducted oversight inspections in Durban and Cape Town to assess the level of rail services across the country. We engaged with commuters about the challenges they face on a daily basis. Metrorail passengers are invariably subjected to unsafe, perpetually delayed and overcrowded trains. In a period of only four months, four people have died and 1000 commuters injured in train crashes in Gauteng alone. Today, a young boy in Cape Town was killed when he tragically fell from a moving train. Another tragic, needless loss of life at the hands of the uncaring ANC government who have failed to get PRASA into shape.

Corruption that has become endemic at PRASA has resulted billions diverted from infrastructure and safety upgrades. It is evident that PRASA is in a perpetual state of crisis and is more concerned with covering up corruption than improving the rail service. The uncaring ANC does not have a plan as PRASA remains completely unable to spend money on modernising trains and infrastructure with over half its budget unspent and with nearly R1 billion in fruitless and wasteful expenditure last year alone.

PRASA and the Department and the Minister of Transport must account for their lack of action to improve safety for the commuters. Measures must be put in place to modernise rail infrastructure and improve rail safely. We cannot allow more lives to be lost, we cannot ignore the plight of railway commuters any longer. The DA has designed a rail plan that will create a safe and well-managed railway system which puts commuters first and will ensure job security. The plan is based on five aspects:

- Stabilising and modernising the current rail system

- Merging Transnet and Prasa under the Department of Transport

- Ceding control of Metrorail services to Metros

- Diversifying ownership

- Security related steps to improve commuter rail services

Only the DA has a plan to fix the railway service of South Africa that remains in shambles under the failing ANC. The Rail Enforcement Unit under the Western Cape government is another example of how the DA takes action and will not back down from calling for justice and accountability.

A DA-led government would be committed to real change that builds One South Africa for All, and put the people first by ensuring they are cared for and kept safe. South Africans have an opportunity to choose a caring party with a plan to improve rail services in 2019.

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Team One SA Spokesperson on Corruption, 30 January 2019