Cape Town's new railway cops get the green signal

Cape Town’s new railway police will be operational within three months.

The R48-million to establish and operate the unit for a year is being contributed by the City of Cape Town‚ the Western Cape government and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.

A joint statement from the three funders on Thursday said they had signed a memorandum of agreement which would see at least 100 law enforcement officers patrolling the trains‚ tracks and stations that make up Cape Town’s decaying and crime-ridden rail system.

“The unit ... will focus on commuter safety as well as vandalism and the theft of crucial Metrorail infrastructure and assets‚” said Brett Herron‚ the mayoral committee member for transport.

“The unit’s members will rely on technology and crime intelligence‚ and will support the South African Police Service to identify those who are involved in the illicit metals theft industry.

“The ultimate goal is to address the safety and security issues so that we can stabilise the urban rail service in the short term.”

Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker said the commuter rail company would designate 50 members of its protection services unit to be trained in peace officer‚ traffic warden and tactical street-survival skills. They would form part of the new team.

“This initiative will support and assist in expediting our Prasa plans to professionalise and transform our own protection services department to a more effective‚ better-skilled and equipped transit-oriented unit to combat crime‚” he said.

“The unit will have a two-pronged focus – primarily to deal with the vandalism‚ theft and illegal trade of non-ferrous metal and copper‚ and secondly to increase visible policing on trains and stations for improved commuter safety.”

Transport MEC Donald Grant said the socio-economic and environmental benefit of a well-functioning rail service could not be overstated.

“Rail is likely to remain the biggest mode of transport of Cape Town’s workforce‚ even though passenger numbers are on the decline‚” he said.

“Now is the time for inter-governmental cooperation in the spirit of the constitution‚ and for the private sector and all other stakeholders to work with government to improve the situation.”