Improvements overdue to avert disruptions of transport

DEAR Minister Dipuo Peters

We are reaching out to bring to your attention one of our country’s greatest challenges – the inadequate public transport system.

The problems plaguing Prasa and Metrorail, which manifest themselves in financial mismanagement and poor service delivery, have a catastrophic effect on all commuters, but especially the working class – an extremely economically vulnerable population of our country.

As you are aware, millions of South Africans rely on public transport each day to make a living and contribute to our country’s economy. Issues as seemingly innocuous as train delays result in immense problems for commuters.

Some of these consequences include causing people to miss crucial doctors’ appointments and job interviews. In addition, our nation’s brightest young students are missing their exams because of these delays, and hard-working employees are being penalised for their absences. Some have even lost their jobs. Therefore, commuters’ job security and future prospects are threatened by late trains.

South African citizens are literally at the mercy of the public transport system, and you have a responsibility to them. One of our gravest concerns pertains to the safety of women and girls when trains stop in the middle of nowhere and commuters are expected “to make alternative transport arrangements” through jumping off trains at night.

Honourable Minister, you need no reminding as to the implication of such occurrences in the lives of women. More than 20 years have passed since our democracy was instituted, yet the inequalities present in our public transport system make it obvious that class and race-based discrimination remains entrenched in our infrastructure. This is why we appeal to you to intervene in the issues faced by Prasa and Metrorail which affect us, our families, our friends and our colleagues every day.

We are calling on you as minister of the national Department of Transport to ensure fulfilment of the basic mandates of public transport: reliable, safe, affordable, accessible and clean.

An efficient, well-run public transport system benefits the economy as workers are able to get to and from work on time; students and pupils can get to their classes and exams; traffic and parking pressures in cities are eased, jobs are created and tourism is boosted. It also benefits the environment by providing transportation with a lowcarbon footprint.

Public Transport Voice (PTV) is an organisation that advocates for quality and equality in the South African public transport sector. We promote the rights to fair and public transport, with the firm belief that these will enable the poor and working classes to an equal opportunity in life. After 21 years of democracy the South African public transport system remains vastly underserviced and underdeveloped, and poses an obstacle to equality, opportunity, dignity, freedom and safety. The public transport system was the foundation upon which inequality was fashioned during the years of apartheid, and despite some attempts to overhaul the system, class and race-based inequalities remain.

Commuters are marginalised stakeholders in the public transport system and PTV aims to usher in active participation and engagement between the national Department of Transport, Prasa, Metrorail and commuters.