Prasa accused of silence on bus service

THE legislature’s Transport and Public Works Committee chairperson Daylin Mitchell, has accused the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) of being silent on the development of a proposed interim bus service to supplement the limited functioning of the Central Line.

As part of a three-phase recovery project launched by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, his deputy Dikeledi Magadzi and former Prasa administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo at the Langa train station in March last year, 80 buses were promised to transport affected Central Line rail commuters.

In November, the provincial government and Prasa signed a Memorandum of Understanding to revive the line, but Mitchell said the proposal was under consideration by Prasa.

He said they were concerned that Prasa has allegedly avoided responding to their questions since October.

Mitchell said they were seeking clarity from the agency on updates on operational and non-operational train stations and sets, total kilometres of rail not in use due to vandalism and theft and Prasa’s steps to address the illegal occupation of land on tracks.

Prasa board chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane said Prasa is working to reinstate services that have collapsed as a result of vandalism of its properties.

He said the agency has been working with the City and province to ensure there is land for people occupying Prasa land. They could not afford the budget to hire buses and did not have sufficient buses.