Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport has expressed its dissatisfaction at the level 3 measures presented by Prasa.
The Portfolio Committee was briefed by the administrator of Prasa on measures put in place, in line with the Committee’s oversight mandate, to ensure the provision of social protection and statutory services to safeguard the wellbeing of commuters in Gauteng.
According to a statement issued by Dumisani Dakile, chairperson of the Committee, it emerged during the presentation that Prasa/Metrorail would only have one line in operation in Gauteng, this as the majority of people return to work. This move, it said, only addressed the north Gauteng commuters and excluded all other regions in the province.
“Trains are expected to be operational effective I June 2020. However, plans presented by Prasa fall short of a province-wide integrated system and could lead to a public transport disaster during level 3,” read the statement.
The safety, security and screening measures presented by the administrator of Prasa were also not reassuring to the Committee. According to the statement, Prasa gave no indication of the average number of daily commuters. Therefore, it said, Prasa’s mitigation plans were ‘feeble’ as they were not based on any context, including the expected number of daily commuters.
“As the Committee, we understand that Prasa is under administration. We are also aware of the immense challenges faced by the institution prior to the lockdown. However, our responsibility as the Committee is to ensure that all public transport in the province is ready to provide service by ensuring that there are effective measures in place for the safe travel of commuters. Unfortunately, Prasa has not convinced us that they are ready to rise to the occasion. The Committee is expecting a revised presentation that is tangible, informed and reassuring that Prasa is ready to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic in trains,” said Dakile.
The Committee requested that MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo convene an urgent meeting with all transport institutions, including Prasa, to consolidate public transport plans, ensuring effective transport in the province during level 3 of lockdown.
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