Cape can-do copper cops

The Cape Town council’s offer to accept responsibility for the city’s rail service is to be welcomed, but it is a huge challenge and the city does not yet have the skills to manage it.

It has been clear for some time that Metrorail is not winning and the service is declining, so the city had no option but to step in. It has wisely decided that any takeover, if approved at national level, would have to take place in stages. The first stage should be to stop the vandalism and copper theft, and this is something the city is well equipped to do. Its Copperheads antitheft unit has performed well and has a good understanding of the problem. I see no reason why the Metro Police, working with the Copperheads, cannot stop the continuing destruction of trains, the signals system and other infrastructure.

It is obvious the trains are not well looked after or properly guarded at night and at weekends. The proof is in the ugly graffiti that defaces the coaches. This vandalism can only be done in daylight or under lights, so it should be easy to spot the culprits.

The graffiti advertises to the copper thieves that the train sets are easy targets. Tackling the vandalism and theft would make a visible difference and would be the first step in winning back public support for the service.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry would also like to see some kind of partnership with the private sector. We need to get people with knowledge, skills and resources involved in a partnership to rebuild the service and grow it into the kind of public transport system Cape Town deserves.