Cape commuters fear losing their jobs after train service is suspended
Lack of Metrorail trains means workers cannot get to city
Image: GroundUp/Bernard Chiguvare
When independent news agency GroundUp visited the Manenberg taxi rank early on Wednesday, it was buzzing with people from Sweet Home Farm‚ Manenberg and Nyanga who usually make their way to work using the nearby Nyanga Junction train station (on the cancelled central line).
Metrorail Western Cape published a statement on Sunday night that the central line had been suspended until further notice. That is the line that takes working people in Khayelitsha to their jobs in the city centre.
On Wednesday, commuters complained that not many taxis at the rank made direct trips to the city centre. GroundUp saw just one taxi making the direct trip between 6.45am and 7.30am.
A Cape Town-bound taxi arrived at 7.15am and people rushed to get to work on time.
“Brother, it is do or die here. If a taxi comes‚ I have to secure a place otherwise I will lose my job‚” a man said, holding tightly onto his bag as he prepared to jump in the taxi.
“This is very expensive for me. I had a R175 monthly Metrorail ticket to town. Now I have to borrow [money] again for this unpredictable situation‚” said a woman who was rushing to borrow money for her trip home later that day.
Commuters said their only options were to wait for a taxi and fight for a seat or spend R8 getting a taxi to Gugulethu Shopping Mall or Heideveld ranks where they could get another taxi for R12 to the city.
Metrorail has arranged for passengers to board Golden Arrow buses using their monthly and weekly tickets‚ but only during off-peak periods.
This article was originally published by GroundUp.