Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to immediately assemble a task team that will investigate the root cause of the train fires.
The party made the call after a fire at Retreat station south of Cape Town on Wednesday morning.
"The DA in the Western Cape is calling on the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to immediately appoint a task team that will investigate the root cause of the train fires," the party said.
According to reports, one person was injured in fire. It has also destroyed three train carriages and interrupted services on a number of train lines in and out of Cape Town.
"This is the third train fire in Retreat station this year, and the sixth train fire in the Western Cape in the past six weeks," said Nceba Hinana, the DA's provincial spokesperson for transport and public works.
Nceba said additional CCTV cameras should be installed at stations without further delay, as this would help to identify how the fires started.
"I am in the process of writing to Metrorail’s regional manager in the Western Cape, Richard Walker, asking that he updates the Standing Committee on Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape on what the predominate cause of the train fires is and what Metrorail in the Western Cape is doing to address these fires."