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The railway line at Langa, Cape Town. Picture: ESA ALEXANDER
The Metrorail southern line in Cape Town is the latest victim of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa) dereliction of duty, but the constitution and the DA give hope to Cape Town.
On Monday, October 11, commuters woke to the news that criminals had been caught red-handed cutting electrical lines at False Bay Station. Prasa was quick to denounce the crime and belabour the severe effect of vandalism on train services. They promised swift action — prioritising repairs caused to four mast poles and electrical lines — and asked for a week’s patience to repair the damage.
We waited with bated breath as we hoped for Prasa to buck its own trend. However, on Sunday, October 17 — true to form — Prasa delayed, pronouncing the Fish Hoek to Retreat section unsafe for use as repairs were still under way. A drive to the False Bay Station on Tuesday, October 19 found no evidence of repair work in progress.
The False Bay Station vandalism is now the second location along the southern line in need of repair due to cable theft. However, it is only the latest in a string of issues along the southern line for which we have been engaging with Prasa over the past two years. These include cleanliness at the Wynberg Station, missing fencing at multiple sections of the rail reserve, derelict buildings in Newlands, and sand on the tracks in Simon’s Town.
Every Capetonian is aware of the failure of the northern and central lines, but the southern line’s degradation is only just beginning in earnest. We have little reason to believe Prasa will repair the vandalism at False Bay Station; and, sadly, more reason to believe the delay in repairs will only get longer and vandalism will only get worse.
We have tried to solve these problems through our individual efforts to engage Prasa on a ward-by-ward basis. However, we will now tackle this problem together as the southern line councillors.
In addition to co-ordinating efforts for solution-orientated engagements with Prasa, we believe testing the boundaries of the constitution on devolution of rail is a step in the right direction.
Capetonians can be rest assured that the SA constitution makes provision to solve exactly this type of problem. It clearly states that local government must promote economic development; for which reliable, safe and affordable public transport is vital. Rail is the most efficient means of travel, the most affordable mode for the user, and the vital link to creating an integrated public transport network.
Effective passenger rail can catalyse economic development, but failed rail services will compromise and even impede a municipality’s ability to fulfil this function. By failing to effectively run Metrorail and repeatedly refusing to devolve rail to competent local governments, national government is refusing to acknowledge their constitutional responsibilities.
It is supposed to support and strengthen a municipality’s ability to fulfil its functions, not compromise or impede it. This is why we must fight. If the devolution of rail happens now, we can still save the southern line.
The constitution is clear: “National government must assign to a municipality, by agreement and subject to any conditions, the administration of a matter listed in Part A of Schedule 4, which necessarily relates to local government, if the matter would most effectively be administered locally, and the municipality has the capacity to administer it.”
Devolution is not only a constitutional obligation, it is global best practice. Major cities the world over administer their urban passenger rail services locally. Our fight to devolve rail to local government is underpinned by the constitution, global best practice and our firm commitment to unlock economic development for all who live in Cape Town.
Mikhail Manuel, Eddie Andrews, Yusuf Mohamed, Katherine Christie, Emile Langenhoven, Carmen Siebritz, Kevin Southgate, Marita Petersen, Aimee Kuhl, Simon Liell-Cock and Ian McMahon DA candidates along the Cape Metrorail southern line
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an e-mail with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by e-mail to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: A fight to save Cape Town’s southern line
The Metrorail southern line in Cape Town is the latest victim of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa) dereliction of duty, but the constitution and the DA give hope to Cape Town.
On Monday, October 11, commuters woke to the news that criminals had been caught red-handed cutting electrical lines at False Bay Station. Prasa was quick to denounce the crime and belabour the severe effect of vandalism on train services. They promised swift action — prioritising repairs caused to four mast poles and electrical lines — and asked for a week’s patience to repair the damage.
We waited with bated breath as we hoped for Prasa to buck its own trend. However, on Sunday, October 17 — true to form — Prasa delayed, pronouncing the Fish Hoek to Retreat section unsafe for use as repairs were still under way. A drive to the False Bay Station on Tuesday, October 19 found no evidence of repair work in progress.
The False Bay Station vandalism is now the second location along the southern line in need of repair due to cable theft. However, it is only the latest in a string of issues along the southern line for which we have been engaging with Prasa over the past two years. These include cleanliness at the Wynberg Station, missing fencing at multiple sections of the rail reserve, derelict buildings in Newlands, and sand on the tracks in Simon’s Town.
Every Capetonian is aware of the failure of the northern and central lines, but the southern line’s degradation is only just beginning in earnest. We have little reason to believe Prasa will repair the vandalism at False Bay Station; and, sadly, more reason to believe the delay in repairs will only get longer and vandalism will only get worse.
We have tried to solve these problems through our individual efforts to engage Prasa on a ward-by-ward basis. However, we will now tackle this problem together as the southern line councillors.
In addition to co-ordinating efforts for solution-orientated engagements with Prasa, we believe testing the boundaries of the constitution on devolution of rail is a step in the right direction.
Capetonians can be rest assured that the SA constitution makes provision to solve exactly this type of problem. It clearly states that local government must promote economic development; for which reliable, safe and affordable public transport is vital. Rail is the most efficient means of travel, the most affordable mode for the user, and the vital link to creating an integrated public transport network.
Effective passenger rail can catalyse economic development, but failed rail services will compromise and even impede a municipality’s ability to fulfil this function. By failing to effectively run Metrorail and repeatedly refusing to devolve rail to competent local governments, national government is refusing to acknowledge their constitutional responsibilities.
It is supposed to support and strengthen a municipality’s ability to fulfil its functions, not compromise or impede it. This is why we must fight. If the devolution of rail happens now, we can still save the southern line.
The constitution is clear: “National government must assign to a municipality, by agreement and subject to any conditions, the administration of a matter listed in Part A of Schedule 4, which necessarily relates to local government, if the matter would most effectively be administered locally, and the municipality has the capacity to administer it.”
Devolution is not only a constitutional obligation, it is global best practice. Major cities the world over administer their urban passenger rail services locally. Our fight to devolve rail to local government is underpinned by the constitution, global best practice and our firm commitment to unlock economic development for all who live in Cape Town.
Mikhail Manuel, Eddie Andrews, Yusuf Mohamed, Katherine Christie, Emile Langenhoven, Carmen Siebritz, Kevin Southgate, Marita Petersen, Aimee Kuhl, Simon Liell-Cock and Ian McMahon
DA candidates along the Cape Metrorail southern line
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an e-mail with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by e-mail to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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