ZANELE MTHETHWA
I ZINKUMBI zabagibeli bezitimela eThekwini izolo zihlangabezane nembibizane zithola ukuthi azihambi ngenxa yokugqashulwa kwentambo exhumanisa ukulawulwa kwazo.
Abagibeli abebevutha ekuseni bagasele emahhovisi ezikhulu zezitimela eDurban Station efuna ngodli imali yawo athenge ngayo amathikithi njengoba kuphazamiseke zonke iziteshi okubalwa iChatsworth, eMlazi, Isipingo, iMalvern naKwaMashu okuyizona ezinabagibeli abaningi.
Kuthiwa abasebenzi bezitimela bathole ngenkinga yokugqashulwa kwentambo entathakusa nokuyilapho kuqala khona ukusebenza kwazo.
Izolo abenkampani yezitimela iPassenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) kudingeke benze ezinye izindlela ukusiza abagibeli abebesele dengwane abaningi abebeya emsebenzini.
UMnuz Zama Nomnganga okhulumela abakwaPrasa uthe okwenzeke izolo bekungaphezu kwamandla njengoba kuhlangene nobugebengu.
Yize sekujwayelekile ukuphazamiseka kwezitimela ngenxa yokwebiwa kwamakhebula, uthe okwenzeke izolo bekwehlukile.
“Sithole ukuthi kungene umuntu ngaphansi kwethaneli lapho kuneCentralised Traffic Control (CTC), wagqashula i-fibre. Le ntambo egqashuliwe isiza ukuthi iCTC ikwazi ukuxhumana nazo zonke iziteshi ukulawula izitimela. Izolo bekume yonke into ngoba besingakwazi nokutshela iziteshi ukuthi sezingasuka izitimela, kanjalo nokulawulwa kwazo ngononina kwaphazamiseka,” kusho yena.
UNomnganga uthe lesi sigameko senzeke ngo-3:30 ekuseni lapho sekulungiselwa ukuthi abasebenza kwiCTC baqale balawule izitimela eziteshini ezahlukene.
“Abagibeli bethu bebethukuthele kakhulu futhi siyaqonda ukuthi baningi abathembela ezitimeleni, abanye bathenge amathikithi enyanga. Ngikhulume nabo ngabachazela isimo ngoba besingeke sikwazi nokudlulisa umyalezo kuzo zonke iziteshi njengoba bese kunqamuke ulayini wokuxhumana. Sihlele amabhasi ukuthutha bonke abagibeli baye ezindaweni zabo ngesikhathi onjiniyela bethu besalungisa isimo,” usho kanje.
Ngesikhathi sokuloba izolo uNomnganga uthe onjiniyela basalungisa izindawo ezithintekile wathembisa ukuthi namuhla izitimela kulindeleke zisebenze ngokujwayelekile.
Uncome ukuthi izolo bakwazile ukudambisa ulaka lwabagibeli ukugwema izigameko ezijwayelekile zokushiswa kwezitimela nokucekelwa kwempahla uma kuphazamiseke izitimela.
UNomnganga uthe udaba lubikelwe amaphoyisa azophenya njengoba kusale nesikhwama okuthiwa besiphethwe ngumsolwa.
Okhulumela amaphoyisa KwaZulu-Natal uMajor Thulani Zwane uthe babikeliwe ngokuphazamiseka kwezitimela kodwa azikho izigameko ezibikiwe, isigameko sokugqashulwa kwentambo siyaphenywa.