Cape Town to appoint experts to help take over rail functions
Taking over passenger rail from Metrorail and Prasa will be done in phases and ‘will have long-term implications for residents and commuters’
The city of Cape Town says it will soon appoint a multi-disciplinary team of rail professionals to help it prepare to take over passenger rail in the metro. Last week, transport minister Blade Nzimande confirmed the talks between the national government and the Cape Town metro. However, the main sticking point is the city’s ability to fund the rail functions, given there is no guaranteed funding from the national department of transport. In 2017, Cape Town announced it intended to take over the management of commuter rail to avert the “total collapse” of rail services in the city. Rail is considered the backbone of public transport in Cape Town. The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is responsible for delivering rail services. Its subsidiary, Metrorail, has been under pressure because its rail commuter services have been in a serious state of decline caused by decades of under-investment, outdated technology, the loss of critical skills, deferred maintenance, and corruption. On T...
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