13 January 2017
The South African Police Service (SAPS) does not consider the senseless attacks on train crews and the vandalism of train coaches enough of a priority to keep separate statistics of these incidents.
This became clear after the Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, confirmed at a press briefing on the successes of the various “Safer Festive Season Campaigns” in Pretoria yesterday, that the SAPS did not keep separate statistics for the Rapid Rail Safety Awareness Campaign.
The Rapid Rail Safety Awareness Campaign was launched by the SAPS and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) on 14 December last year to alert commuters to crime on trains and railway lines and to get them to assist the SAPS with information so that the increasing problem can be alleviated.
The United National Transport Union (UNTU) had welcomed the campaign after six months of repeatedly pleading with the management of PRASA, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take hands to address the growing National crisis.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says PRASA and the SAPS is not serious in their attempts to combat cable theft syndicates and armed robbers targeting defenceless train crews and commuters.
“The Rapid Rail Awareness Campaign is merely a smokescreen to be able to say we have tried to address the problem. There is no serious attempt to preserve and protect PRASA’s train coaches in the interest of the poorest of the poor who is dependent on this shaky service to get to work daily,” says Harris.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.
