Shortly after relaunching its long-distance trip between Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) had to stop its services due to ‘infrastructure challenges’.
Also read: Prasa resumes Shosholoza Meyl between JHB and Cape Town
Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda told IOL that the Shosholoza Meyl passenger train service was ‘temporarily suspended to service the locomotives to increase (the) availability of locomotives’.
Makanda also stated that customers were notified, and arrangements for refunds were made.
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According to Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Chris Hunsinger, the Durban to Johannesburg train service was also scaled back, and this service will now run monthly instead of weekly. ‘The few train trips that were undertaken during this period ended before passengers could reach their destinations and had to be transported by bus.’
‘While it’s obvious that Prasa was neither ready nor technically capable of relaunching the service, the question that Prasa executives need to answer is whether this was an evidence-informed operational decision or whether Prasa executives were under some form of political duress when they took the decision.’
The DA reportedly submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application to Prasa to request a record of decision-making that would inform the reinstatement of its long-distance train service, despite concerns about its technical readiness.
Secretary-General of the GOOD Party Brett Herron argues that the ‘quiet cancellation’ should serve as a ‘wake-up call to Prasa and the Department of Transport’.
‘A reliable and safe commuter rail service is the backbone of any country’s public transport network and a crucial part of growing the economy and addressing inequalities.’
‘Yet, recently Prasa opted to rather focus on celebrating its ill-prepared long-distance passenger links, which they could not even sustain for more than a mere three weeks, and should have been lowered down their priority list to start with,’ he adds.
‘Prasa and the Department of Transport should rather be working around the clock to get existing commuter rail services operating.’
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Also read:
Travellers grateful for PRASA’s resumption of long-distance train services
Picture: Prasa Group / Facebook