The rail safety regulator ”is not fulfilling his role”, the United Transport and Allied Trade Union of South Africa told Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe in talks on Sunday about safety and overcrowding on trains.
This makes it ”impossible” for unions to guarantee the safety of their members, the union’s secretary general, Chris de Force, told Radebe during a meeting at his offices in Pretoria.
De Force said other issues raised by the union include Spoornet and the high noise levels of its locomotives.
”We urged the minister to do something as our members could not continue working in such conditions,” he said.
It also asked Radebe to ”hasten” the availability of the R3-million allocated by the Cabinet for the upgrading of public transport in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Although no decisions were taken, Radebe promised to take up the issues with the Cabinet ”as soon as possible”. — Sapa