The total collapse of passenger rail services looms large and the current state of affairs is dire, leaving people yearning for a solution. As the need for reliable and cheap transportation becomes increasingly urgent, it is high time we embrace the only logical approach: the devolution of passenger rail services.
The DA in the Western Cape welcomes the commitment by the director-general of the department of transport to work on allowing capable metros to run passenger rail in 2023. The national transport minister is more interested in playing politics with her ANC cadre comrades, but the director-general recognises that the devolution of rail has tremendous potential.
Since 2019, the central line in Cape Town has become a stagnant reminder of broken promises. Communities such as Khayelitsha, Langa, Nyanga and Maitland have been left in the lurch, desperately seeking a lifeline to connect them to the heart of the city. Passenger rail not only holds the key to unlocking the potential of millions of people but offers the most affordable public transport option available.
Acknowledging this pressing need, the DA-led Western Cape government is not simply sitting back and waiting for the national government but has taken up the mantle of creating an integrated transportation system.
Our colleagues in the City of Cape Town have allocated a substantial R5.2bn in investment to expand the MyCiTi bus services. Soon, areas such as Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, and many more will have MyCiTi buses going up and down their communities and will no longer have to rely on expensive taxi trips. Moreover, the investment in MyCiTi is projected to create more than 10,000 job opportunities in the metro’s southeast communities.
Go George’s remarkable growth, with a fleet of 133 vehicles covering 70% of households, showcases the transformative power of well-executed transport systems.
Go George has continued its upward trajectory, experiencing a remarkable 20% increase in passengers within a single year while operating 23% more routes. Another R200m will be spent on Go George this year to further improve this service. Under the leadership of this DA government, Go George remains the most affordable transportation option in the region.
Despite these promising strides, unnecessary roadblocks obstruct progress. The resistance from the ANC-led national government to devolve rail services is deeply rooted in their fear that the DA will run passenger rail services far better than they ever could.
It is time for the ANC to embrace this opportunity. Devolution of rail services to the provincial level represents an opportunity to realise long overdue promises and provide much-needed relief to communities in desperate need.
Derrick America, MPP
DA Western Cape spokesperson on mobility
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