The public hearings on the Railway Safety Bill that took place in Beaufort West on Saturday and in Khayelitsha on Sunday, were marked by similar issues in posture that were raised on the Bill, but that differed on the degree of emphasis and urgency based on the geographic locations that one community finds itself.
The similarities of both areas are that Beaufort West used to be the interchange hub for towns in the Little Karoo and its adjacent towns while Khayelitsha residents, the second largest township in South Africa, had one of the highest numbers of train commuters in the country. But the irony is that both their rail infrastructures have collapsed disgracefully resulting in the discontinuation of passenger rail services to the detriment of its communities.
At Beaufort West the participants told the committee that the Beaufort West Station was a hive of activity, where communities of adjacent towns would disembark and embark upon on their way to different South African destinations. They said it is sad to realize that the station is now a pale shadow of its former self. They said they support the Bill because it will assist to restore its economic profile and create the necessary job opportunities for the youth of the area.
They said when train stations closed, many families found it hard to get by and that exacerbated the bleak economic condition of an area that already had meagre economic and job opportunities. Beaufort West residents told the committee that they hope that the Bill will restore the livelihood of many destitute families in Beaufort West especially the youth. They said the youth of that region has lost hope because there are no employment opportunities for them irrespective of their qualifications.
The residents of Khayelitsha expressed their support for the Bill’s intent to improve the safety, the concept and design of passenger trains and railways. They said no rational person would oppose that. They said the committee should conduct oversight to determine what led to the destruction of the rail infrastructure that was viable.
Khayelitsha residents expressed a concern about the perceived conflict between the Bill’s intent and the taxi operators. They said the resuscitation of passenger rail would be seen by many of taxi operators as a direct threat to economic benefits they were enjoying when there were no trains. The residents told the committee that taxi associations must be consulted and be made to understand the intents of the Bill. They said that would assist in averting any possible conflict of ideas and intent.
During the public hearings in Vredenburg, Beaufort West and Khayelitsha there were suggestions that the new passenger train regime should ensure that concept and design of services take into consideration the plight of disabled communities and that trains are equipped with first-aid equipment and personnel for any health dangers or hazards that passengers may encounter on trains.
Reflecting on how the nationwide public hearings on the Bill fared, the Acting Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, Mr Lawrence McDonald, emphasized in noun certain terms that the taxi operators should not feel threatened at all by the Bill. He said: “The taxi industry is part of government’s broad public transport strategy. We will work with them to synergize their operations with that of passenger trains because they feed off on each other. There shouldn’t be any perceived threat in this regard.”