Prasa urges passengers to be patient
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is asking passengers using Metrorail trains to be patient when the trains are faulty or are forced to stop unexpectedly
Spokesperson Zama Nomnganga says they've found that people grow impatient, risk their lives and jump from the train while it's still in between stations.
He urged that in those cases passengers wait patiently for the track to be cleared or repairs to be conducted.
"Remember that sometimes those are the situations that we face almost everyday. The train has to stop until it clears whatever is in the way. If the signal is red the train has stop.
"People panic and then they start jumping. I just want to urge people not to vent their frustrations on our infrastructure. They mustn't damage what is going to be helpful to them the following day," he said.
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Busi Mlambo who uses the Durban to Thornwood near Dassenhoek daily explains that passengers jump because the stops cause major delays and end up getting home very late.
"No one informs you what's happening, we just sit and wait. We'd like for Prasa to make a way for the drivers to announce over the radio in the train if there is a problem not for us to just sit and wait with no explanation.
"Jumping is dangerous but we end up doing it because we're scared that by the time we eventually get to the station it'll be very late and we still have a distance to walk home and it's not safe for us," she said.
(Photo: Khatija Nxedlana)