MINISTER CARLISLE RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF LACK OF COLLABORATION WITH METRORAIL
Robin Carlisle, Minister of Transport and Public Works, has dismissed allegations by Mthura Swartz , Regional Manager of Metrorail Western Cape, that the Minister spends more time "publicly denigrating" the rail network than collaborating with Metrorail to improve it.
In an unprecedented press statement issued in the early hours of this morning, Mr Swartz slammed Minister Carlisle for "opt(ing) for every opportunity to publicly lambast the region" rather than collaborating with Metrorail to help it fix its problems.
Minister Carlisle responded that while he understands that Mr Swartz is new in his post, it remains Metrorail Western Cape's responsibility to ensure that its general manager is aware of what is going on in the Province.
Current Metrorail security projects funded by Carlisle's department include a security fencing intervention at nine hotspots in the City and a park-and-ride security project to support late trains. Other projects like the Mackrill Beach coastal erosion study and the level crossing Task Team have been driven directly from the Ministry.
"Beyond these obvious examples of how, in reality, we are working very closely with Metrorail, there is the more important fact that I have spent much of my three years in office lobbying PRASA and Metrorail for improved service, including increasing the number of trains and improving security," said Carlisle.
Carlisle's efforts to obtain additional trains for the Cape from PRASA have included proposals to convert Shosholoza Meyl trains, rent trains internationally, transfer underutilised trains from other provinces and expand refurbishment and repair facilities for existing trains. The Minister has on numerous occasions encouraged Metrorail to implement some of the City's best practices regarding security.
" Sometimes it appears to me that Mr Swartz and his team have no understanding of the daily misery of being a Metrorail commuter," said Carlisle, lamenting the deteriorating service, citing numerous reports he has personally received of commuter dissatisfaction, including passengers too fearful of assault and robbery to board trains, over-crowding, constant tardiness and scheduled trains which simply do not arrive.
Carlisle added that he has an open door. "If Mr Swartz needs assistance of any kind, he is very welcome to meet with me, or simply send me a written request. I would be delighted to help. I do consider it peculiar to be accused publicly of being un-co-operative. After all it was Mr Swartz who ignored my concerns over the fare hikes, and Mr Swartz who declined to consult the most important public transport player in Cape Town, which is the City of Cape Town."
Regarding Mr Swartz's assertion that rail crime is symptomatic of the social ills in surrounding communities and beyond Metrorail's jurisdiction, Carlisle pointed out that asset protection is the responsibility of any enterprise participating in the South African economy: "Every other business in South Africa has to secure its assets from metal theft, and I am unconvinced that Metrorail is exempt. The fact that the system continues to be plagued by up to 25% fare-dodging is indicative that Metrorail is not even getting the basics of access control right, let alone securing its assets."
Carlisle commented that, while he is aware of the irregularity of a senior official in a parastatal launching a personal attack on a member of the executive in a media statement, he isn't "overly concerned with protocol issues".
Statement issued by Hector Eliott, Head of Ministry, Western Cape Ministry of Transport and Public Works, April 18 2012
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