Cape Town - The #UniteBehind coalition movement will occupy Cape Town station from 2pm on Friday afternoon for a peaceful protest to demand commuter safety on Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) trains.
#UniteBehind spokesperson Matthew Hirsch said commuters faced perilous journeys on a daily basis just to get to work and school on time.
“The most affected are women, who get sexually harassed, as well as learners, who sometimes get pushed out of trains due to overcrowding,” he said.
Hirsch said that just this week there had been delays of more than two hours across the region due to infrastructure problems in Cape Town.
“We demand qualified and properly trained security guards on trains and at the train stations, operating on legitimate contracts. We need basic security infrastructure,” he said.
Hirsch said there needed to be security in the trains and at every station.
“There need to be accessible reporting mechanisms for commuters who are victims of crime.
"We reiterate our demands that commuter rail be declared a national disaster. This would allow the government to unlock funds and resources to focus on safety on trains.