PRASA refuses to sign service level agreement for Cape passenger rail
3 August 2023
‘PRASA has let commuters down by refusing to make a commitment to the City about the quality and level of passenger rail services they will deliver, and to be held accountable to those commitments. It is vital that PRASA’s service delivery is measurable, with clear, agreed targets for improvement as we work towards our ultimate goal of the devolution of passenger rail to the City.
‘A formal Service Level Agreement is a legal requirement under section 11(1)(c) of the National Land Transport Act, and the City has repeatedly requested PRASA to comply with its obligation to conclude this agreement with us. Ultimately, this agreement will also form the foundation for the long-awaited devolution of rail to the metro, and all the benefits this will bring for Cape Town residents in desperate need of an affordable, safe, and reliable rail service.
‘But PRASA has informed us - in late July - that they will not sign and commit to a binding service level agreement at this stage given the current state of rail services. This is neither acceptable nor lawful, and the City now has no choice but to proceed with formal dispute resolution processes,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The City’s ongoing Rail Feasibility Study, which aims to chart the way to devolution, has so far found that lower income households will save up to R932 million per year with an efficient passenger rail service in Cape Town. The research also shows that functional rail will sustain over 51 000 jobs and add R11 billion to the local economy each year.