Torching of trains is costing billions

Hundreds of millions of rand go up in smoke each year as rail commuters vent their anger over poor or late services by torching train carriages, Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele has revealed.

Responding to a written parliamentary question from Cope MP Pakiso Mbhele last week, Ndebele said the cost of “repairing and replacing torched train carriages” had been R126.2 million in 2011/12, R82.3m in 2010/11 and R81.5m in 2009/10.

Further inquiries revealed that last year alone, theft, vandalism, train fires and level crossing accidents cost the State R203m – and that the annual bill rockets to a staggering R1 billion once ancillary costs, such as overtime, bus charters and lost revenue are factored into the equation.

“The singular persistent challenge that continues to undermine all efforts to improve the service offering in the commuter and passenger rail spaces remain the twin evils of theft and vandalism of safety-critical assets,” Metrorail spokesman Lawrence Venkile told the Cape Argus.

Mbhele blamed the situation on “a lack of leadership by the ruling party”.

When it was put to him that the damage was not caused by the ANC, but by members of the public, Mbhele said: “If you govern effectively and manage these things (late trains and labour strikes) properly, then these incidents would not be happening.”

He was also scathing in his criticism of union leaders, who he blamed for making “instigatory statements” and “inciting their members” and then denying their members were involved when trains got torched.

Recent incidents of train burning include:

* Between November and February, five rail carriages, more than 100 signals, 17 point machines, 21 track boxes and several cables were damaged, destroyed or stolen in and around Cape Town during a protracted and unsanctioned strike by privately contracted security guards who were demanding Metrorail employ them. The damage was estimated at R7m.

* Six men were arrested in March after eight train carriages were torched in New Canada and Orlando East, Soweto, and at the Braamfontein and Elandsfontein yards during an illegal strike by members of the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union who were demanding the removal of passenger Rail Agency CEO Lucky Montana. Union leaders denied that their members were involved, saying “criminals” were responsible for the damage, estimated at R70m.

* In January, six carriages were torched by angry commuters at the Pretoria North, Winternest, Acacia Boom and Wolmerton stations when load shedding by Eskom disrupted services in the area.

* In November last year, angry passengers, fed up with late trains, embarked on a torching rampage – euphemistically referred to as “passenger backlash” by rail authorities – in which 28 coaches were torched at three stations in Soweto.

Political Bureau