STAKEHOLDERS who share a joint interest in the area along the railway line and underground pass opposite the Maritime Museum in Durban have committed to conducting operations to clean up the area and weed out criminal activities, drugs and litter.
This comes after a resident complained about the foul state of the area saying it smelt of urine and faeces and was an embarrassment considering the museum attracted tourists.
The resident, who requested not to be named, contacted Berea Mail in March last year about the rubbish piling up alongside the railway line and strewn around the area.
“I was so glad to see people starting to clean up last March, however the problem is not going away. The area looks terrible, with the rubbish lying all around. It smells of urine and people sleep on the ground nearby and make fires at night, which poses a danger to others visiting the museum. What must tourists think when they come to the museum?” she said.
She said after the clean-up last year, the underground pass was a bit better, however she said it usually smells of urine and faeces and is filthy.
“Something needs to be done and someone needs to take responsibility. This should be maintained continuously as it is a tourist site,” she said.
Mike Asefovitz, senior manager of external communications and corporate affairs at Transnet Freight Rail, said the area in question belongs to three stakeholders, the eThekwini Municipality, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) as well as Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), with TFR being responsible for the railway reserve.
“The issue of litter and vagrants living along the line and polluting the area is one of great concern for TFR and all relevant stakeholders, hence the formation of a forum comprising of the municipality, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), SAPS, Metro Police, Transnet and others, to ensure that the issues discussed at the forums are addressed accordingly. The forum had initially agreed to conduct joint operations once a week, aimed at weeding out criminal activities, drugs and the constant littering of the area,” said Asefovitz.
He said at the last forum meeting held recently, the stakeholders present took a decision to increase the frequency of the operations around the area from once to twice a week. This is in an effort to ensure that cleanliness remains intact, and the criminal element addressed.
“As TFR we have instituted a maintenance schedule for clean-up operations along our railway reserve, which is normally once every quarter. In adhering with that schedule, we have a clean-up operation planned for mid-February,” he said.
