The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is getting ready to roll out its new trains in Cape Town. A grand reveal with a mock-up train will be hosted by Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande in April.
These features will include onboard driver-commuter communication systems, air conditioning, CCTV cameras, and emergency communication for disabled passengers.
Speaking to IOL, United National Transport Union spokesperson Sonja Carstens said the union was happy to hear that the trains would be deployed in the Western Cape. “We thoroughly believe it is a step in the right direction,” she said.
She added that the trains will also be fireproof.
Last October, the PRASA board Parliament’s transport committee put forward a 58-page document titled “Interventions to Recover the Service”. This document included plans to expand CCTV surveillance in high-risk areas.
As of Tuesday, Metrorail had only 776 functional CCTV cameras out of a total of 2 817 in the city.
Picture: PRASA