New calls for Prasa to pay up after latest Cape train attack

Cape Town mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron has expressed his exasperation with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) over its failure to co-fund a special rail enforcement unit that the city is training.

Herron expressed his anger on Sunday following an attack on commuters travelling on a train between Lynedoch and Eerste River on Friday evening‚ which resulted in the death of one man.

Eight other commuters were also robbed of their belongings before being thrown off the train. One commuter was found with a broken knife blade embedded in his head.

Herron said in May this year Prasa had signed a memorandum of agreement and committed to co-fund the special rail enforcement unit together with the city and the Western Cape provincial government.

He said the cost of establishing and operating the unit for a period of 12 months was about R47.9m, and had to be shared equally among the city‚ provincial government and Prasa.

“Despite Prasa’s obligation‚ as confirmed by the Constitutional Court‚ to ensure a safe public transport service and all our efforts to assist them to honour this obligation‚ we are still awaiting Prasa’s contribution of R16m,” he said.

“We have sent several urgent reminders to the Prasa executive to fulfil their duties and to honour their commitment.”

Herron said he had sent a letter to transport minister Blade Nzimande‚ calling on his urgent intervention to ensure that Prasa paid the R16m that was needed to fund the unit.