Metrorail pulls a Trump with R68m wall against illegal entry

A video depicting Metrorail commuters standing on the roof‚ hanging from the windows‚ piled up between carriages and dangling from doors has caused an outcry on social media.

Many Capetonians are accustomed to this. But the spread of the video has prompted Metrorail in the Western Cape to issue a statement to‚ among other things‚ defend the driver's decision to depart from the station. Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said by not pulling away there was a risk of having even more people boarding.

“The train crew will also be at risk as people get increasingly frustrated and angry because a train does not depart. Unfortunately trains‚ unlike buses and taxis‚ have multiple carriages with multiple doors. Crowd control and prevention of overload is extremely difficult as most of the current high volume stations are relatively 'open' and the huge volumes of passengers makes it impossible to control access‚ especially during peaks‚” she said.

Scott said that that Prasa's modernisation programme includes addressing station access. The introduction of new technology will address the issue of overcrowding and open access to trains.

She said that the company is struggling to provide services in the midst of vandalism‚ theft and arson on its trains.

Thus far‚ 101 trains have been rendered non-operational since 2015. The cost to replace the trains stands at R312-million‚ Scott said. Every month‚ up to 70 trains are vandalised. In addition the Prasa workshops are being stripped of copper wiring. “It cannot be left to Prasa to be solely accountable for crime prevention‚” Scott said.

“The rail service is a system within society that reflects the prevailing environment within which it operates; criminals are not born and bred within rail precincts‚ they spill over from surrounding areas where communities live in fear of retribution to the point where they hesitate to expose criminals in their midst‚ so the cycle continues.”

In a move not unlike what US President Donald Trump keeps proposing‚ Metrorail is in the process of securing their railway tracks against illegal entry by constructing a wall that will cost R68-million. The wall will go up in areas where vandalism is at its highest‚ such as around the Netreg line.

Costatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said: “Cosatu welcomes every measure to address the causes of delays and inefficiencies in the train system. So if a wall is part of a contribution to that‚ we welcome that. But we are obviously concerned in the other areas like the lack of sufficient trains and the lack of security on trains. These are urgent matters that should also be attended to.''

During the nationwide strike last week Wednesday‚ Cosatu in the Western Cape handed a memorandum to Prasa regional manager Richard Walker. In it‚ the union said using the "chronically overcrowded" trains in Cape Town was like a "hell run'' and demanded action from the parastal. Ehrenreich said that no reply has been received from Prasa yet.