The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) was invited to brief the Standing Committee on Mobility on its service level plan and strategies to improve services and rail efficiency across all districts in the Western Cape on Friday 16 May 2025.
The chairperson of the Standing Committee on Mobility, Prof Nomafrench Mbombo, issued this statement following the briefing:
PRASA failed to bring the people of the Western Cape and the Standing Committee on Mobility into its confidence during its briefing on its service level plan and strategies to improve rail services and efficiency across all districts in the province, including the Metro.
A significant portion of PRASA’s presentation focused on its efforts to gradually restore the rail sector with the long-term goal of optimisation. However, despite having ample opportunity, and being reminded by committee members of the briefing’s agenda, PRASA failed to present its service level plan or provide meaningful answers about it.
Instead, PRASA spoke in circles, unable to offer clear reasoning for why the plan could not be shared at this point.
Whilst we appreciate the recovery initiatives shared and acknowledge that most train routes and lines are back in operation, we remain concerned about the lack of a concrete plan for the extension and upscaling of additional routes.
As result, the committee will be conducting oversight visits to one or two of the newly reopened routes, particularly where PRASA has indicated the potential for future expansion. These visits aim to assess the feasibility and readiness for such extensions.
Prof Mbombo said: “I will continue to invite PRASA to brief the standing committee on its service level plan, and I will formally request that it be submitted to the committee upon finalisation. As a state-owned enterprise, PRASA is effectively required, under various legal and governance frameworks, to publicly disclose its service delivery commitments. This is not only a matter of accountability but of public trust.”
This briefing marks the beginning of an ongoing series of discussions and oversight engagements by the 7th Administration of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, through the Standing Committee on Mobility. Key stakeholders involved in the rail sector’s recovery, including the City of Cape Town, will be invited to participate in future briefings.
The Standing Committee on Mobility remains committed to ensuring robust engagement with all relevant stakeholders to help deliver an integrated, reliable transport system for the people of the Western Cape.
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