The long-awaited Rail Enforcement unit has finally arrived on Metrorail trains to help keep Cape Flats commuters safe.
The joint initiative by the City of Cape Town, Prasa and the Western Cape Provincial government saw 100 Law Enforcement officers deployed on city trains on Monday.
According to a statement, the unit will assist the existing security services with the challenges the Metrorail service is currently facing, among which are sustained attacks on the rail infrastructure and assets, the sabotage of the urban rail network, and the safety of commuters and rail employees.
The formation of the unit follows a memorandum of agreement between the three entities to jointly fund the R47.9 million needed to establish and operate the unit for a year.
Mayco member for transport, Brett Herron, says hundreds of thousands of low-income residents rely on the trains to get to work and school.
CHECKS: Officers on a train. Photo: SUPPLIED
“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure commuters’ safety; and secondly, we must do all we can to protect and stabilise the service.
“Public transport must enable commuters to get to work, on time, and to do so without being concerned about their safety.
“I want to thank our partners for their leadership, support and dedication over the past few months in seeing this pilot project through.”
The officers were recruited and trained by the City.
Apart from safety, the unit will also focus on vandalism and the theft of crucial Metrorail infrastructure and assets.
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