The recent burning of train coaches by angry commuters might not be the last, the United Association of South Africa (Uasa) said on Friday.
Metrorail is ”caught up in a vicious circle” of a lack of investment in maintenance and infrastructure, said Gerhard Ueckermann, Uasa’s transport-division manager.
”Train sets and infrastructure are in such a bad state of repair that rendering a reliable service to the commuting public is becoming more difficult by the day.
”Commuters, in turn, are expecting a reliable service from Metrorail and they cannot be expected to understand the dilemma which Metrorail is facing.”
At about 8pm on Thursday, angry commuters burnt eight coaches at Germiston station and set two offices alight, causing damage to the coaches estimated at R60-million.
Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said the company is concerned about the commuters’ conduct.
”In Daveyton, about three to four weeks ago, five carriages were set alight. People should not address their anger in that manner. That is not the solution,” she said.
At Germiston station, commuters were angered by delays that, Mlangeni said, were caused by a ”technical fault which affected signalling”.
Mlangeni said a probe into Thursday incident is under way and Metrorail will call for decisive action on the matter.
East Rand police spokesperson Superintendent Andy Pieke said the fire was caused by commuters who had been on the train that was travelling from Katlehong to Germiston.
It is not known how the blaze started, Pieke said. A case of arson has been opened.
Mlangeni said trains between Germiston and Kwesine on the East Rand will only run after damage to the tracks is completely assessed.
”There are no trains on that particular line,” she said. — Sapa