Nzimande calls on stakeholders to do something about killer crossing

Minister of Transport Dr Blade Nzimande visited the Buttskop Level Crossing crash scene this morning, Thursday, May 3, where a Metrorail train collided with a bakkie on April 27, in the Western Cape.

“I’m very concerned about this. We cannot allow that this becomes like a permanent slaughterhouse. For 38 years so little has been done yet so many lives have actually been lost here, it is completely unacceptable. We have to do things differently,” Nzimande told journalists during the crash scene visit.

The minister added the Passenger Rail Authority of South Africa (Prasa) needed to be part of efforts to address safety at the crossing where the accident occurred. He said other stakeholders, including the national department of transport, should work collaboratively towards addressing safety at the crossing.

Nzimande was briefed on the preliminary report conducted by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR).

According to the preliminary report, a Metrorail passenger train No. 3200 was coming from Strand station en route to the Cape Town station.

“The bakkie was occupied by one driver and six passengers, and they were all fatally injured. The driver and one passenger were in the front and other five passengers were at the back of the bakkie,” Nzimande said.

Four of the deceased passengers are from Zimbabwe, two passengers from Zambia and the last passenger from Cape Town.

“The preliminary report confirms that the cause of the derailment was due to the train colliding with a bakkie which was trying to access the level crossing before the train but misjudged the train speed and distance to the level crossing,” Nzimande said.

According to the report, the level crossing is protected by flashing lights, stop signs, and boom gates, which were tested after the crash and were confirmed to be working properly.

According to the information retrieved from the train data, the train was travelling at 80 km/h and that the train driver applied emergency brakes less than a minute before the collision.

Nzimande has directed the Rail Safety Regulator to finalise the report, which will be shared with all the affected stakeholders.

The minister sent his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and wished those recovering in hospital and at home a speedy recovery.

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