SA railways ‘under siege’ new RSR report shows
Deputy Transport Minister Lisa Mangcu says South Africa's railway system is under siege from thieves and vandals.
Mangcu presented an overview of the Railway Safety Regulator’s latest State of Safety Report on Wednesday.
Mangcu says the railway sector experienced 1,0746 negative events over the past year.
"Over a span of five years, these negative events have persistently affected the safety profile of our railways. This is not a mere statistic but a call for resolute action and reform. A cornerstone of our railway system is under siege. Transnet Freight Rail recorded a 12% decrease in train kilometres reflecting issues like rolling stock unavailability, floods and vandalism.
"Security-related incidents constitute challenges, with 97% of these incidents being theft and vandalism. Theft of assets alone accounted for 77.6% of these incidents, illustrating the gravity of these issues. Between the 2018/19 financial year and the 2022/23 financial year, the rail sector recorded 110 fatalities and 175 injuries from safety-related operational occurrences".
Mangcu said Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape still need targeted platform measures.
"Platform train interchange occurrences decreased but continued to result in fatalities and injuries, especially in Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape. We must ensure improved safety at these interchanges. The growing incidents of illegally crossing railway lines emphasise a need for enhanced railway security," he said.
Mangcu says the Railway Safety Regulator needs to roll up its sleeves and solve the myriad of issues listed in the report.
“The 2022/23 State of Safety report is not merely a report. It is a mirror and opportunities that lie before us. Our railways are the veins that connect our nation, and we cannot allow them to wither away. It is our responsibility to take immediate action to collaborate and drive the reforms necessary to ensure the safety, reliability and prosperity of our railways".
Rail Safety Regulator CEO Mmuso Selaledi said rail remains the veins of the economy.
"We have to move the masses of our people and masses of our goods. so the business is if we have safer railways, you will have more productive railways, and you will have a better country. We need a strong PRASA, Transnet and a world-class Gautrain.”
PLEASE READ:
