Union calls for the suspension of train services
The United National Transport Union (UNTU) has called for Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula to suspend all train services to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, COVID-19.
UNTU General Secretary, Steve Harris says train users are more vulnerable to being infected.
“We have called on the Minister of Transport to suspend the train services of Metrorail because members of UNTU are very vulnerable with regard to the exposure they have under the current train service conditions and Prasa (the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) has not supplied any of the staff with protective gears such as facial masks, gloves, and hand sanitisers,” says Harris.
He added that it is impossible to apply social distancing in trains, especially during peak hours.
“It is a clear opportunity for this disease to spread quickly if we do not do something drastic, and it will be hard for commuters that are dependent on trains to work, but we are in a dire state and we need drastic action,” says Harris.
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Harris says measures to stop the spread of the virus in trains can only be possible with sufficient train sets and crowd control measures on stations to allow a limited number of people per train.
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