By Nangamso Mabindla
25 October 2007

IN an effort to ensure safety and improve public confidence in the railway network, Metrorail has teamed up with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to establish the Rail Crime Combating Forum.

To kick start this new partnership, the parastatal will be spending R9-million refurbishing the Mount Ruth railway station in Mdantsane for use by the SAPS. Metrorail's regional communications manager, Mamnkeli Ngam, said that construction would begin in November and was expected to be completed by September 2008.

"This initiative is also in partnership with the national and provincial transport departments and aims to deal with the safety and security of commuters on trains. Metrorail understands the meaningful role played by rail in the South African public transport system; that is why we have a National Rail Plan," Ngam said.

To ensure the sustainability of the partnership, SAPS members will be deployed to various stations around Buffalo City to ensure that commuters were safe.

"Five members of the SAPS have been deployed at the East London, Mount Ruth and Swartkops railway stations to ensure the safety of commuters. In future this exercise will be extended to other areas like Mthatha (in Transkei) and King William's Town," Ngam said, adding that the number of police deployed to railway stations would increase by the end of this year.

Metrorail and the SAPS would meet weekly to share information and to draw up crime fighting plans for railway stations.

"However, for the this partnership to yield better results, the management of Metrorail and the SAPS encourage train commuters in particular and the public in general to come forward with valuable information to improve their safety on trains."