‘Entity going off rails’

YOUR editorial column under the above title refers:

While I have little time for Prasa and/or its commuter service MetroRail I cannot let some of the less than well thought-out opinions in the item pass without comment.

Firstly to link the tragic accident near Kroonstad, caused directly by the failure of a road vehicle to obey both the multiple signage at the scene as well as standard road traffic ordinance stipulations (not just my view, the initial RSR report has been published) with the accident at Geldenhuys station is blatant sensationalism.

Equally gratingly sensational are your comments about “… menial jobs… earning slave wages…”. I use the train and would certainly not refer to my job or wages in those terms!

In the case of the Geldenhuys accident, why are you not venting your spleen on the thieves and vandals who are ultimately responsible for Prasa/MetroRail staff having to make decisions in an attempt to keep the services running for all those badly paid menials you show such concern for? Yes, someone got something wrong but manual operations are not necessarily dangerous – we had something similar on the Retreat – Simon’s Town line for month after month last year… and not one accident other than car/ train encounters exclusively the fault of the road vehicle drivers.

I assume you, the union, the quoted Pretoria lawyer, et al, think that in the situation Prasa/ MetroRail should have simply stopped all trains , leaving thousands of commuters stranded? Now that WOULD have been criminal.