A high-level meeting involving the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), community leaders and other transport top brass is set to take place on Friday, in connection with the restoration of train services in the Mitchell’s Plain area.
The meeting is expected to be attended by PRASA, Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS), the South African Police Service (SAPS), the local community policing forums, neighbourhood watch members, the City of Cape Town and the South African National Taxi Association (SANTACO).
According to the Mitchell’s Plain Community Policing Forum’s chairperson, Norman Jantjies, he hopes to see the reopening of the train line before the end of this year. He says it is a necessity, as cash-strapped residents are battling to keep up with the rising costs of petrol and alternative modes of transport.
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“The delegation will inform us of the plans to reopen the lines, and we will focus on security, the upgrading of the infrastructure, and looking at what jobs there might be for locals,” explained Jantjies.
The Mitchells Plain Train Station has been completely ransacked, following the closure of the Central Line in 2019. The vandalism of the once bustling transport hub has resulted in broken turnstiles, stolen copper cables, damaged signage boards, broken overhead cables and more.
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Jantjies added that if all goes according to plan, residents will be able to make use of train stations including Mandalay Station, Lentegeur Station and Kapteinsklip Station, by July 2024.
