Cape Town - Shosholoza Meyl, the long-distance passenger rail service of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), is expected to reintroduce its services today, with Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula expected to oversee the process.
Mbalula said he would be joined by Prasa on the inspection of state of readiness for long-distance commuter rail under Covid-19 protocols, saying the trains would operate as part of the festive season transport alternatives for commuters.
United National Transport Union spokesperson Sonja Carstens said the union believed the service was ready and capable of adhering to the Covid-19 regulations.
Carstens said this was because Shosholoza Meyl was operating as a long-distance commuter service and was using Transnet freight railway lines, which made it a much smoother process in terms of vandalism and train operations.
“It’s a smooth process, it would also be easier to limit the amount of passengers beforehand and there are no stops and goes, and there won’t be people jumping on and off the trains,” Carsterns said.
She said there would be enough marshals to ensure that passengers board in an orderly manner, and food would not be allowed.
“The problem we would obviously encounter is the people passing each other on the train, but I am sure that Prasa would be able to ensure that people do their best with overcrowding.”
United Commuters Voice spokesperson João Jardim said the organisation was happy that the service was being reintroduced just in time for the holidays; however, they asked commuters to adhere to the Covid-19 regulations.
“We also urge Prasa to ensure that last year’s fiasco is not repeated,” Jardim said, as he recalled the “fiasco” where a train from Johannesburg to Cape Town was allegedly stuck at Prince Albert Road due to locomotive failure, with passengers complaining of being stranded without explanation.
Cape Argus