Cape Town – The City of Cape Town has announced its appointment of a professional service provider to conduct a feasibility study on taking over the management of the passenger rail service from the national government.
It says the move is supported by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.
The study will start on July 1, with stipulated deadlines, deliverables, regular feedback and reporting on progress of the work.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says taking over the passenger rail service from the national government is a huge undertaking.
“We must fully understand what this entails, especially when it comes to the costs as passenger rail in Cape Town has imploded to a level where it is barely functioning.
“The whole system – from the planning to the operations and management – will need to be overhauled so that it can be the backbone of public transport and the study will assist us in how to approach this takeover,” Hill-Lewis said.
Over the last decade, it is estimated that about 570 000 rail passenger trips per day shifted to road-based transport.
Mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the shift from rail to road has had commuters digging deeper into their pockets and is even more time consuming due to traffic congestion.
“The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has neglected passenger rail for decades.
‘A lack of investment, maintenance, vandalism and crime have led to a loss of assets, illegal occupation of rail reserves, and a collapse of most services.
“In 1995 the network of 270km was served by 95 train sets, by December 2019 there were 44 sets in operation.
“The central line, the most popular and needed line serving the metro-south east, is not operating,” Quintas said.
He said Cape Town commuters needed a reliable, safe, affordable, efficient and integrated public transport system with passenger rail as its backbone.
Quintas said residents should be able to get to work on time and with ease.
“Economic growth relies on a productive workforce, and the bigger and healthier our economy, the more jobs will be created, and with that comes improved living conditions and livelihoods.
“Thus, the study must inform us on how best to take over passenger rail to ensure Cape Town has a world class public transport system to serve our residents and city,” Quintas said.
Some of the outcomes of the feasibility study are: develop a feasible, incremental and structured approach for an improved passenger rail service in terms of planning, operations, and management, identify and evaluate financing mechanisms for the provision of operations and capital investment and determine the financial implications for the restoration and sustainability of passenger rail services.
The team conducting the study consists of specialists in rail operations and engineering, project management, transport planning, strategists in rail business facilities and asset management, a transport economist, legal specialist and rail safety and security specialist.
“First off, the service provider will determine the status quo of the current passenger rail system and operations, assets and conditions.
“It must also take into consideration Prasa’s modernisation programme and future rail extensions, including the risks associated with capital funding of these projects.
“They must also consider international best practice, devise an institutional structure and competitive and sustainable business model.
“A safety and security risk assessment must form part of the baseline studies,” Quintas said.
He said a critical component is the financial viability of the city taking over passenger rail, and our ability to afford and maintain the system and budget allocation and subsidisation will require detailed and ongoing engagement with the National Department of Transport and the Treasury.
In a letter to Quintas, Godongwana commended the City for taking the stance.
“A study of this kind is essential as the assignment and delegation framework demands that the government recognises the current capacity constraints faced by many municipalities. I wish you all of the best in your endeavours,” he wrote in a letter dated April 15.
The letter also confirmed that the White Paper on Transport Policy, the draft White Paper on Rail Policy, as well as the National Land Transport Act, Constitution and Municipal Systems Act, support the approach the City is taking to understand the implications of its intention in taking over passenger rail from Prasa.