LETTER: Time to beef up railway security
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Transport minister Fikile Mbalula revealed this week that 142 railway stations do not have electricity due to theft and vandalism. In Gauteng, cables and transformers have been stolen.
The DA has been calling on Metrorail for a long time to improve security in and around its stations. It is unacceptable that commuters are left stranded because of cable theft and electricity infrastructure being vandalised.
This trend of not having sufficient security is concerning as the railway system is the cheapest mode of transport, which many residents in Gauteng rely on daily to get to and from work. When the service is not available residents have to make alternative arrangements for transport, which they cannot afford.
It is clear that a specialised unit to investigate this trend of our railway stations being vandalised is needed in Gauteng, along with beefed up security at all train stations.
Fred Nel MPL
DA Gauteng shadow MEC for roads & transport
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The DA has been calling on Metrorail for a long time to improve security in and around its stations. It is unacceptable that commuters are left stranded because of cable theft and electricity infrastructure being vandalised.
This trend of not having sufficient security is concerning as the railway system is the cheapest mode of transport, which many residents in Gauteng rely on daily to get to and from work. When the service is not available residents have to make alternative arrangements for transport, which they cannot afford.
It is clear that a specialised unit to investigate this trend of our railway stations being vandalised is needed in Gauteng, along with beefed up security at all train stations.
Fred Nel MPL
DA Gauteng shadow MEC for roads & transport
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an e-mail with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by e-mail to letters@businesslive.co.za (mailto:letters@businesslive.co.za). Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.