Cape Town - With each passing day Metrorail commuters face travelling by train with increasing trepidation. Platitudes by authorities such as “no stone will be left unturned to find those responsible” offer cold comfort amid the unending spate of arson attacks and robberies.
There is no guarantee a train will be on time. Or that there will be a train. And no assurance of safety – on a train or at stations.
Human rights activist Zackie Achmat, responding after yet another arson attack at Cape Town station at the weekend, wants an “emergency for commuter rail declared”.
Hilton Davids from Ottery says it’s “scary travelling on the train at the moment”, with danger lurking in different guises (see video). He believes the arson attacks are increasing the fear factor.
“If there is a third force (involved), I hope they find somebody... Government should get involved now,” he said at Cape Town station yesterday while, you guessed it, waiting for a train that hadn't arrived on time.
After 30 years in first class, commuter Jean Alexander from Lansdowne believes it’s safer travelling in third class (see video), "because I don’t feel safe at all in first – they are robbing people".
“The arson attacks, I don’t know what they are going to do about it. Because there are so many trains being burnt out, and we are actually suffering at the end of the day. I’m sitting here waiting for the train,” Alexander said.
Commenting on Twitter, Achmat said: “The lives and livelihoods of @CapeTownTrains commuters, rail workers, informal traders and our economy is being destroyed... This is organised economic sabotage that has claimed lives… Time for mass action and the state to find the syndicates.”
Hilton Davids from Ottery says it’s “scary travelling on the train at the moment” and believes the government should get involved after the spate of arson attacks. Video: Louis Neethling
There have been at least seven attacks in six weeks in which trains were torched by suspected arsonists, and infrastructure damaged and stolen by vandals. Metrorail has confirmed that there are only 37 trains in operation in the Western Cape to accommodate about 500 000 passenger trips a day.
Nonthando Mendela from Strand has to get up at 3.45am in the hope she gets to work on time. She knows it's a daily lottery at best. On top of it, Mendela is still traumatised from being the victim of a robbery on a Metrorail train last month.
“It was a Sunday afternoon at about 4pm when the train suddenly came to a standstill just outside Parow station. Five guys and a girl robbed about 20 people in our carriage. They took my wallet, my Pick n Pay shopping and mainly people’s cellphones.
“It felt like the incident had been planned. I was so shaken. I sent an email to Metrorail on the same day, but I still haven’t had a response.”
Commuter Jean Alexander from Lansdowne believes it’s safer travelling in third class, after 30 years in first class. Video: Louis Neethling
CPUT student Tshepo Lephallo has no idea what Metrorail has in store for his future. Living in Somerset West, he has little choice but to travel by train.
“The arsonists are very selfish because there are a lot of people who take the train. Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency) has to improve their services and protection because they have to take into account that a lot of people take the train,” Lephallo said.
"Who really stands to benefit from this insanity?” it is being asked.
With the damage to train infrastructure growing by the millions and the service rapidly deteriorating, the law enforcement agencies, Prasa and Metrorail need to find out fast who is behind "train capture".