Railway safety is a key priority

15 August 2019

During the delivery of my budget vote speech in Parliament, I highlighted the premium we are placing on safety of our railways. As custodians of safety in the railway environment, we have an obligation to ensure that railway operators adhere to the highest safety standards in line with international norms.

The Railway Safety Regulator is an agency of the Department of Transport whose mandate is the develop and enforce a robust railway safety management system for the country.

This morning, alongside the RSR Inspectors, we conducted a pre-departure inspection at the Transnet Freight Rail yard in Durban.

The inspection sought to achieve the following:

- Assess the condition of rolling stock against predetermined train predeparture criteria in order to make informed decisions on whether the rolling stock is trackworthy.

- Investigate the robustness and efficiency of the procedures applied by Transnet Freight Rail for certifying their trains as ready for service.

- Verify adherence of Transnet Freight Rail personnel to the set standards and procedures when performing these ready for service inspections.

- Enforce regulatory instruments where non-compliances are detected.

The RSR Inspectorate has legal authority to enter any operator’s premises and conduct inspections and investigations where they have reason to believe safety is compromised.

This is an important regulatory instrument to ensure that the wheels of the economy keep turning through efficient operations. Safety is a critical cornerstone that enables efficient operations in the railways, whether freight or passenger rail.

The pre-departure inspections such as the one conducted this morning are a critical element of safety management, as these seek to prevent accidents before they occur. As our safety management regime matures, we continue to learn valuable lessons through these inspections and strengthen the capacity of the Regulator to deliver an incident-free environment.

In 2017/18 the RSR reported that a total number of 4 478 incidents were reported in the railway environment across all categories, representing a 10% increase from the previous year. 2 360 of these were attributed to Transnet Freight Rail. Our commitment is to implement measures that will significantly reduce these incidents over time. In order for the economy to thrive and our people to be safe, railway safety must become an integral part of our normal operations at all times.

Later this year, we will be tabling before Parliament a Railway Safety Bill that seeks to strengthen our railway safety model and ensure tighter alignment with the South African Police Services in addressing incidents of personal safety and crime in the railway environment.

Issued by Ayanda Allie Paine, Spokesperson, Department of Transport, 15 August 2019