The United National Transport Union (UNTU) condemn the irrational and reckless burning of train coaches by angry commuters who wants to show their dissatisfaction with the poor service delivery by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).
“More and more train coaches are taken out of the passenger railway system because they burn out after being set on fire. Currently PRASA only has 58% of its coach capacity to utilise. A UNTU train driver who used to drive fourteen coaches on one of Cape Town’s busiest railway lines, says since the coaches were burned earlier this year, there is only eight left,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
According to him the reality is that angry commuters are only making matters worse for themselves, for PRASA and for the employees of the crippled passenger railway operator.
This comes after another two Metrorail coaches were set on fire in Centurion, Pretoria, yesterday during the early hours of the morning. They were burned out and had to be uncoupled form the rest of the train. This resulted in a delay of about an hour for commuters traveling between Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Harris says more and more commuters are deciding to rather make use of the more expensive option to rather travel by road transport because the railway system is becoming too unreliable.
“Not only does this take more money out of the commuter’s pockets, but is also negatively impact on the already dire financial position of PRASA. There is no winner when trains are set alight. It only increases the overcrowding of trains and all the problems that goes along with that such as an increase in crime on railway lines,” Harris says.
He also pointed out that PRASA cannot replaced its burned-out coaches with the new PRASA fleet. The platforms of railway stations need to be adjusted to make provision for the new fleet. The integration of the new fleet is part of an infrastructure modernisation upgrade that will cost the tax payer R172 billion. That is why PRASA was not able to put the new fleet into use by 1 October this year as was planned.
“Only 20 of these new coaches was delivered. The rest must be built in South Africa. PRASA is only now busy building the new plant where this should be done. Commuters needs to realize that after the platform has been adjusted, no other PRASA or Transnet trains can make use of the same railway lines,” says Harris.
UNTU urges all South Africans in assisting the law enforcement authorities to catch those responsible for setting trains on fire so they can be brought before the courts. “Everyone citizen in South Africa has a duty to try and bring this vicious circle to an end,” says Harris.
For enquiries phone Harris on 082 566 5516.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer.
