Transport and Public Works committee chairperson in the Western Cape provincial legislature, Daylin Mitchell, says the perpetual problems experienced by Metrorail are crippling the service.
Mitchelle said this after Metrorail this week announced that trains at Cape Town station had been suspended due to equipment failure.
“Telecommunication problem at Cape Town impacts Region. Train shuttle service between Fish Hoek and Salt River has been introduced. Commuters are advised to make use of [their] own alternative transport between Salt River/Cape Town in both directions,” said Metrorail on Wednesday.
Metrorail said technicians were busy working on the problem.
According to IOL, Mitchell said it was time that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) delivered on its promises with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the Western Cape government.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula recently said in the short term Prasa was undertaking the rail infrastructure programme upgrade to the tune of R1.8 billion and R2 billion respectively, the report said.
United National Transport Union (Untu) spokesperson Sonja Carstens was quoted as saying the union was very concerned about the situation, because it had a severe impact not only on the commuters but on the whole of Cape Town, especially its members who were the employees.
Picture: Cape Town etc gallery
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Metrorail suspends trains due to ‘equipment failure’ at Cape Town station