Mbalula pledges to fix train service
TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula has vowed to fix the train service, after he joined commuters for an early morning ride from Chris Hani station in Khayelitsha to Langa station yesterday.
“I am here to fix things, and if I can’t fix things with my team, I must ship out because then I do not deserve to be here…”
Mbalula accepted a memorandum of demands from civil society coalition Unite Behind, which requested an urgent meeting with him.
“For too long, commuters have been let down by empty promises,” the organisation said.
Their demands included declaring the commuter rail service a national disaster, establishing a permanent, ethical, qualified board with a commuter representative, and a plan to bring damaged coaches back into operation.
Mbalula listed delays as the primary challenge commuters faced, and said criminal activity was rife.
“I’m supposed to take a train from here (Chris Hani) to Langa. It is clear that the train delay is going to take the next two hours (to arrive), which will be 8am and I have to be in Parliament at 10am.
“The problem is that there is a criminal element here that affects the service. It’s early morning on a Khayelitsha train – the train is a skeleton of its former self due to vandalism and theft. We will increase safety and protection of trains,” Mbalula said.
He pointed out that the situation was a “crisis” that had been building up for about 10 years.
“We have one speed train that we will introduce, but the speed train is not our priority. While our agenda is that we modernise, our first priority is those who are affected – which is the working class – who must first feel that there is change,” Mbalula added.
If I can’t fix things, I must ship out because I don’t deserve to be here Fikile Mbalula Transport Minister