Question NW2675 to the Minister of Transport

Share this page:

23 December 2021 - NW2675

Profile picture: Hunsinger, Mr CH

Hunsinger, Mr CH to ask the Minister of Transport

What are the reasons that so little progress and improvement has been made by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), given that according to the latest State of Safety Report by the RSR a total of 3 392 operational occurrences (details furnished) have been recorded during the past year and security-related incidents per million train kilometres have increased by 105%?

Reply:

 

During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, operators experienced a significant increase in both recorded and unrecorded theft and vandalism security-related incidents on their assets and infrastructure. The RSR continued to advocate for means to curb these incidents throughout the rail sector influence and stakeholders. State agencies, private security employed to guard assets and infrastructure and law enforcement agencies, such as the South African Police Services (SAPS) have been actively engaged by the RSR to employ proactive measures to arrest perpetrators of these incidents. These activities included the RSR making submissions during the National Rail Crime Combating Forum under the guidance of the SAPS for action, including proactive investigations for possible prosecutions.

The 105% does not mean it is an increase between two financial periods but between 2010/11 and 2018/19 reporting. The immediate comparison between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 reporting period, reflects a decrease from 9 996 to 8 052 security-related incidents. This represents a 19% decrease.