METRORAIL REGIONAL MANAGER EQUALLY DISAPPOINTED AT MEC'S RESPONSE 

Regional Manager of Metrorail Western Cape, Mthuthuzeli Swartz, expressed disappointment at MEC Carlisle's response to his request for a deferred visit. ‘We asked the MEC to postpone his visit to allow the GCEO of PRASA to accompany him; surely not an unreasonable request', Swartz said. ‘It would only be fitting for the head of PRASA to brief him on developments'.

He added that the MEC's response was regrettably not surprising and corroborated Metrorail's assertions that the MEC opted for every opportunity to publicly lambast the region. He said Metrorail's problems are public knowledge; so too the enormous efforts and significant resources to address those problems. ‘A national tender has just been finalized to plow R700m into securing strategic assets - the region itself will spend R250m to install surveillance equipment in problem areas' he explained. Swartz confirmed that close to 100 ex-SANDF members have recently swelled the ranks of regional security force.

He reiterated that the crime within the rail precinct was a societal dilemma and emanated from the surrounding communities. ‘We urge the MEC to put equal pressure on his colleagues in cabinet to provide extra resources to tackle the devastating effect of crime within communities'. Swartz said Metrorail's task is daunting enough to operate more than 600 000 daily passenger trips to 108 stations over 460km of railway tracks - it should not be forced to venture beyond its jurisdiction to secure assets as a result of societal ills.

Swartz asserted that it was counter-productive to engage in public disputes when collaboration is required to ensure safe living and travelling conditions for the majority of public transport users: ‘We submit that the MEC's efforts should be directed at leveraging additional resources to improve conditions of the communities in the province'. He concluded that far more would be accomplished through collaboration than criticism: ‘The Province encourages the use of public transport; yet the very public denigration of the majority public transport mode further erodes confidence in its use'.

Statement issued by Metrorail Western Cape regional manager, Mthuthuzeli Swartz, April 17 2012

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