DA says Prasa services not up to scratch
JOBURG – Prasa had taken the Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) to court after the RSR revoked their operating license.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has slammed the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) for failing to come up with a new and efficient strategy to fix the poorly-run rail public transport system.
The opposition party claims that Prasa‘s board has failed to come up with solutions earmarked to improve their services to the commuters – especially workers and schoolchildren.
Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny de Freitas, said last week that the Transport Portfolio Committee met the Prasa board and added that he was appalled by the way they responded to members’ questions in parliament.
De Freitas said the objective of the meeting was to get to the bottom of what the board is doing to fix this state-owned entity and what they are doing to reduce the continued train crashes that are taking place almost weekly now.
According to De Freitas, Prasa had recently taken the Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) to court after they revoked Prasa’s operating license. He added that the RSR concluded that, as things stand now, the trains are not safe enough to operate.
“I had now naively thought that Prasa at least had a plan so that the RSR would be convinced to change their ruling,” said De Freitas.
“It was with this attitude that I arrived at the Portfolio Committee meeting. The presentation by the Prasa [board] left me more despondent and depressed than ever before. Prasa supplied nothing new – no solutions, no new ideas.”
De Freitas said that the multi-party portfolio committee were united in their criticism of the board and added that they all agree that Prasa needs to address the issues confronting the state-owned entity today.
“The board had lots to say about the future – an old tactic so that today is not discussed. This time, the committee would not have it! We need solutions for the problems confronting us today.”
He continued that the current rail system under the national government is dangerous, constantly late and not fit to solve the serious issues that face South African cities and its commuters.
Prasa has lost nearly 60 per cent of their clients in 20 years, mostly in the last five years, the shadow minister concluded. “This, despite increasing population and millions being added to the workforce – all this has a direct negative impact on our economy and jobs!”
Details: Manny De Freitas manny@democratic-alliance.co.za
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