Cape Town – The economy of Gouda in the Western Cape is being threatened by non-compliance by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), according to the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR).
The RSR issued Prasa with a “prohibition directive” on August 24, 2015 to suspend operations at Gouda Station.
Following an inspection on April 26, 2013 RSR found hazardous conditions, which posed a “threat to safe railway operations”.
These included the height of the platform, lack of shelters and toilets, poor condition of the platform surface, lack of fencing, and insufficient lighting.
RSR spokesperson Babalwa Mpendu told Fin24 that people might lose jobs or be late for work and children might not be able to go to school if Prasa does not put interim measures in place.
“The commuters will face hardship,” she said.
Prasa has come under increased scrutiny after the dismissal of its CEO, Lucky Montana, and the public protector’s recent report on widespread maladministration within the agency.
Gouda railway station is serviced by Metrorail’s Boland Blitz, which runs once a day in both directions from Cape Town to Worcester, taking almost four hours.
Should Prasa fail to comply, the RSR may impose a maximum penalty of R5m or it could face criminal charges.
According to Mpendu, RDR has not issued Prasa with a time frame in which to respond.
“It’s entirely up to the operator’s discretion to decide if and when to respond to the directive,” she said.
The regulator has, however, made a recommendation to Prasa on how to improve conditions at Gouda.
In its 2013 response to the “improvement directive” issued by the RDR, Prasa said that “they cannot invest in that property as it is owned by Transnet Freight Rail and could be a wasteful expenditure...”
Prasa is yet to comment.