The Minister of Transport DR Blade Nzimande statement following the suspension of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa safety permit
The Minister of Transport, Dr Blade Nzimande, has directed the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to immediately address all current safety concerns raised by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR). The Minister’s directive follows the Railway Safety Regulator decision to suspend the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa safety permit.
“It is the mandate of the Railway Safety Regulator to oversee safety in railway transport, while operators remain responsible for managing the safety of their operations,” said Minister Nzimande. Minister Nzimande further said PRASA must ensure that it works meticulously to address all the safety concerns raised by the RSR without affecting the commuters and staff that use rail transport daily.
“Rail is a very important part of our public transport system and is cost effective. As such, PRASA must ensure that it adheres to the Rail Safety Regulator Act by always improving their Safety Management Systems (SMS) and adhering to standards, regulations and guidelines”, emphasised Minister Nzimande. Minister Nzimande is awaiting a detailed report from both RSR and PRASA, and will also monitor progress closely.
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