Derailed? Structural railway reforms on its way to SA says finance minister

Good news for the South Africans alike! Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, announced in Parliament on Friday that the railway sector is preparing to introduce new and improved structural reforms. 

Many South African commuters have come to know that the railway system is unreliable and often unsafe for passengers. So much so, that some commuters have chosen road travel over rail within the past few years. 

South African railway industry takes a knock

Many commuters have chosen to take public transport such as buses, public taxis, and private taxi services such as Bolt and Uber to get to their destinations. Although these systems aren’t full-proof, they can be better banked on by passengers to get to their destination safely, on time, and unharmed. 

According to The City of Cape Town, “approximately 570 000 passenger trips per day have either moved from passenger rail to road-based transport modes, or, these passengers are no longer economically active.”

Reforms

So structural reforms, you ask? According to IOL, Godongwana revealed that 100MW of power is to be generated from private businesses and third party operators to stimulate economic growth.

According to Stats SA, the Western Cape and Gauteng have the highest percentage of railway commuters in South Africa, meaning, it is important for reforms to come quickly so that commuters who rely on the railway system can get back to their normal lives.

The fact that structural reforms for the rail industry are being introduced is a big win for the transport industry of South Africa. Hopefully, the railway industry can win back the trust of the country’s commuters again. 

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