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Metrorail Operations have issued a safety directive that trains will no longer leave the platform if commuters are hanging on the outside of the trains.
Prasa Rail CEO Mosenngwa Mofi said in a statement: "We have taken a decision to strengthen our enforcement against commuters hanging on the outside of our trains putting their lives at risk and opening Metrorail to unsafe operating practices.
"We will now insist that our trains will only depart the platform once all the doors have been closed with no commuter hanging on the outside of the train.
"We will arrest and prosecute anyone caught hanging on the outside of the train. This includes those people that ride our trains in between stations hanging on the outside."
Unsafe
He admitted that set shortages as a result of the age and high prevalence of breakdowns have resulted in overcrowding, but said this did not justify operating under perilous conditions.
"We have on many occasions been candid about the chronic shortage and unreliability of our train sets which is why the new trains in 2015/16 will provide such a welcome relief.
"We are however making no concessions when it comes to unsafe travelling practices which have become prevalent on our system" said Mofi.
Prasa Rail is currently addressing train set shortages for its operator Metrorail through its maintenance interventions where old sets are refurbished and where train set reliability is improved.
Metrorail operators have introduced express trains and shuttle train services for short and intermediate trips to alleviate overcrowding.
This means that train services, at high commuter volume corridors, will cater for two specific commuter needs - those travelling from the furthest distances to the end or change station and those taking shorter trips or stations positioned closer to the end or change station.
Express trains will not stop at each and every station, but will collect commuters at the furthest stations to their end or change stations.
The shuttle train service will be used for those commuters departing from stations nearer to the end station or change station. This increases the availability of train sets and alleviates overcrowding.
Overcrowding
Prasa Rail operations had also implemented a closed door policy, but it was not as successful as some commuters continued to vandalise the doors and keep them open while the train is in motion.
"Thousands have already been spent fixing broken doors and windows on our sets, further diminishing the already small number of operational sets as they have to go for replacement.
"The acute vandalism of our assets in the name of overcrowding is, however, unacceptable as no other transport system has allowed such a practice on its service.
"This is a culture spanning many years which we attribute to plain bad behaviour and we are calling for an immediate end to it," said Mofi.
Metrorail is currently undergoing a major modernisation exercise with rail tracks being repaired, as well as signalling and other critical areas.
Various speed restrictions have been introduced which have added to commuter travel time.
Security
"Our service is undergoing modernisation on critical areas of our operations both in preparations for the new trains but also to improve our operational safety and customer experience.
"However, while we are modernising, our operator Metrorail will experience delays and added journey times which further compound the prospect of overcrowding in the regions," advised Mofi.
Metrorail commuters can look forward to a heightened security presence as Metrorail enforces safe travelling.
Commuters are also encouraged to take responsibility for their safety and not put their lives in danger by hanging on to trains or leaning outside open train doors, including breaking train windows and general vandalism.
In the past financial year, Metrorail operators experienced the following:
- Cable theft
- Interference with electrical overhead wire
- Vandalism of its sub-stations.
Reported incidents of vandalism:
- 238 fatalities were reported and among those were 221 people struck by trains while walking on the tracks. It accounts for 93% of the fatalities. A total of 17 of those were people falling while hanging outside the trains or vandalising train doors.
- 2 178 asset-related crimes were reported which account for theft and vandalism. This amounted to 189 incidents per month and around seven incidents per day.
