Cosatu and a commuter group have called on transport authorities to overhaul the city's "shameful" public transport system before it was too late.
They warned that time was running out, and the province had to start implementing its plans for the 2010 World Cup soon.
Rail Commuter Action Group spokesperson Leslie van Minnen, said: "The time for talking is finished. The government and Metrorail have been discussing their problems and plans for over six years It's now the case of getting down and doing something.
"They must get the shameful public transport into order and stop talking.
"Our system is in such a dire state, it's embarrassing especially the rail system and it can't be improved in three years.
"It's an absolute joke to think the city or any other city is going to be ready for the event (2010).
"We've been fighting with Metrorail and the Transport Minister since 2001. Nothing has changed.
"They've installed a few CCTV cameras at some stations have put some fencing around certain stations and more recently introduced the railway police. We appreciate that, but these are not priority issues," Van Minnen said.
"We need to improve the infrastructure first. We've got an ageing and unreliable rail system our trains are very old, between 20 to 30 years old and they are not serviced properly because of poor management and poor maintenance.
"They don't have the political will or expertise available to improve the system to change the Third World commuter system into a respectable world class system. It will take an absolute miracle for them to change such system," he said.
Commuting is also dangerous, with frequent reports of injuries and death. The Rail Commuter Action Group is representing 51 commuters injured in railway accidents in a class action lawsuit against Metrorail, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe and other authorities.
The case is due to be heard in the Cape High Court this year.
Metrorail said its 2010 plans were on track and it was ready to implement them from next month.
However, Cosatu's provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich described the government's promises that the city's public transport system would be ready by 2010 as "gimmick".
"We need to have a more comprehensive plan, and we must start implementing it," he said.
Ehrenreich said buses and trains, which were getting "huge subsidies" from the government, were in a very poor state.
"It's ridiculous to think that we are to link the improvement of public transport to 2010.
"We've got no public transport in the Western Cape after 8pm; the buses and taxis are in such a bad state. There have been a lot of new townships in the past few years, but nothing has been done to improve public transport in those areas.
"The only thing that we are seeing is the building and expansion of freeways to accommodate more private vehicles.
"We also hear of the airport rail link to transport visitors and the rich from the airport to their hotels in the city. People from the Cape Flats are not even going to be part of the World Cup because tickets for the matches will be too expensive anyway.
"The government is just conning people it is deceiving people to think everything will be running smoothly during the World Cup. It's a gimmick," he said.
Denis Lillie, the project director for the 2010 Fifa World Cup at the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, said planned projects were expected to become "live projects" as from next month.
"In principle everything is in place. We are working closely with the city, the national government and the Treasury to ensure that everything is done on time.
"In February we will have a complete overlay of where we are we will be getting final details of every plan and then we expect to formalise the whole process afterwards."
Lillie said the consultation process, which looked at visitor numbers, was expected to be completed in two to three weeks. This would give the government an idea of how the event would impact public transport.
The city and the province were already identifying venues for park-and-ride facilities near train stations and at some educational institutions where people would leave their cars and use public transport to matches at Green Point Stadium and fan parks across the city.
The University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University were some of the venues earmarked for parking and accommodation for visitors.
Lillie said the government was looking at getting better bus coaches before the end of 2009 to operate in the city before the World Cup. Additional trains are to be added to the rolling stock in the province.
But Lillie said not everything would disappear after 2010. "The buses, for instance, would be released back to serve local communities after the World Cup.
"We want a transport service for all residents in the city, not just our visitors. We are looking at how the Cape Flats can benefit by having fan parks closer to people.
"We are considering Philippi as one of the venues for fan parks," he said.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said R80-million had been set aside to upgrade Heideveld, Langa, Athlone and Netreg stations.
"These are expected to improve the access to the facility and also the security of the people using the trains. The professional team for revitalisation of Cape Town station has already been appointed," she said.
Meanwhile, commuters who spoke to the Cape Argus expressed frustration at the hitches involved in the daily grind of getting to and from work.
When Nowellyn van der Merwe of Heideveld, ap-proached by the Cape Argus after he had just got off an evening train home. He had been hanging outside the carriage because of overcrowding.
"I've been using trains for the last eight years and things are getting worse on the Mitchell's Plain line every day," he said.
"Trains are always late every morning, and there's no good communication from Metrorail on why they are always late.
"The only thing they tell us is that trains are either being delayed or cancelled. This does not only create problems of overcrowding inside trains, but it becomes risky because people stand in between carriages just to get to work or back home.
"Windows are broken and when it rains in winter the water just comes in.
"I don't see how things will change for 2010, or at least not for local people, maybe for tourists," he said.
Deborah Carelse travels to the city daily by bus.
"The buses are literally falling apart and they break down all the time, especially the ones in Mitchell's Plain," she said.
"This delays commuters a great deal. Sometimes we have to board a bus with an open flap on its floor and you can actually see the ground.
"It looks like all the old ones are being dumped here. They never come on time
"The complaints department never bothers to resolve your complaints they always promise to come back to you, but they never do," she said.
Golden Arrow did not respond to a list of questions submitted from the Cape Argus.