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GroundUp reports that workers commuting between Tongaat and Durban have been struggling with high transport costs since the connecting northern rail line stopped operating four years ago.
The line was shut down in 2020 during the Covid lockdown, forcing commuters to rely on minibus taxis to travel the approximately 50km to work, predominantly in the industrial area of Isipingo. While the return train journey used to cost R23, commuters are now having to spend R90 a day on taxis. Tongaat ward councillor Dolly Munien lamented: “It seems as if Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of SA) has forgotten about the Northern Line.” Not just workers, but people seeking work in Durban are also affected, she pointed out. Tongaat resident Siyabonga Mkhize said he resigned his job because the amount of money he was earning was not enough to cover his commute and living costs. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane said there was nothing the department could do about restoration of the train line as the service was run by Prasa. But Prasa’s Zama Nomgaga said they were not responsible for the Northern Line as it was Transnet Freight Rail’s responsibility and they were waiting for Transnet to fix it. He reported that the line had been vandalised, and had also been damaged by floods in April 2022.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tsoanelo Sefoloko at GroundUp
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page