Press Statement dated 7 September 2018
The United National Transport Union (UNTU) is shocked and disappointed to have learned in the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) preliminary investigation indicates that the assumption of a Train Control Officer (TCO) that a route was clear, caused the coalition at Selby in Johannesburg during which 112 commuters and train crew members were injured.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says the RSR and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), must admit to the South African public that they don’t have the expertise, management skills or supporting infrastructure to use manual train authorisations (MTA) in a safe and a responsible manner nationwide.
More than 50% of South Africa’s signalling system is malfunctional due to vandalism of PRASA’s railway infrastructure the past three years after PRASA had to cut back on the availability of its protection officials since the passenger rail agency has been technically bankrupt, says Harris.
“The RSR set a non-negotiable condition for PRASA that the passenger rail service must have supervision in place during degraded train operations and, specifically when MTA’s are conducted. This is not happening as PRASA lacks the basic management ability to adhere to the special condition,” says Harris.
According to Harris nothing will come of Transport Minister, Dr. Blade Nzimande’s, promise to Parliament during his budget vote earlier this year that PRASA’s re-signalling project in Gauteng will be finalised by the end of 2018.
“This forces PRASA to continue with degraded train operations which have a dire impact on the safety of railway operations, and ultimately our members, the majority of PRASA’s employees, and innocent commuters, the poorest of the poor,” says Harris.
According to him PRASA’s modernisation project is also far behind the scheduled expectations created by PRASA to the Minister and the National Department of Transport.
Harris says PRASA’s lack of a coordinated and integrative project management approach prevents the passenger rail operator to meet basic security requirements of the RSR.
“Against this background the RSR do date refuses to allow Prasa to implement the new urban trains sets on any other route than the one running between Pretoria and Pienaarspoort.
“Currently there is an inability of PRASA to exercise their basic managerial functions in operational safety and the security of its paying commuters. It cannot provide a stable train service. Therefor the RSR refuse to allow PRASA to deploy the new train sets elsewhere until the underlying risks thereof are addressed,” says Harris.
UNTU reminded the office of Minister Nzimande that the Union has been waiting for a meeting to bring these concerns to his attention since his appointment on 28 February 2018. His office has not yet responded to a reminder send to them on 23 August 2018.
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer