The Acting Minister of Transport:

Response to a resolution passed by the House on 23 October 2002 in respect of the safety of passengers travelling on Metrorail, with specific reference to an incident on a train to Khayelitsha:

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION OF 23 OCTOBER
REQUEST FOR ACTION DATED 1 NOVEMBER 2002
Passenger security in the Western Cape - Four passengers were robbed and thrown to their deaths by thugs on a train to Khayelitsha.

SARCC RESPONSE
Report of the incident: On 21 October 2002, at 21:00, it was reported that four persons between the ages of 13-21 years old were found next to the railway line between Esplanade and Bay Junction stations in the Western Cape. Two were fatally injured and the other two injured were taken to hospital. It is alleged, as was also reported in the media, that they were thrown from a train during a robbery.

It could not be ascertained whether they were robbed, or whether they were the perpetrators in a robbery.
The case was handed over to the SAPS who opened murder and attempted murder dossiers. The SAPS is currently investigating the case.

SARCC SAFETY AND SECURITY STRATEGY IN THE WESTERN CAPE
The SARCC has been investigating the increase in crime-related incidents on the total commuter rail system since March 2002. Apart from human loss and injuries, insurance-related incidents of cable theft, fires and vandalism have also increased the costs of providing services.

A total safety and security strategy has been developed and tested, as a feasibility study, with Metrorail on a section of the Western Cape rail system. The feasibility project delivered very positive results and were implemented on the entire Western Cape network since October 2002.

The project involves alarms on cables, helicopter surveillance and dedicated armed security response teams. Operations are co-ordinated with Metrorail and SAPS security and safety strategies.

The dedicated security teams also provide:
- Medical assistance to injured commuters.
- Armed response on SARCC infrastructure.
- Removing trespassers from SARCC property.
- Reporting and intervention in terms of acts of sabotage and violence.
- General crime prevention patrols on stations.
- Development of intelligence capability.

RESULTS FROM THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
- Arrested cable theft syndicates with SAPS. (Syndicates also involved in other criminal activities such as drug trafficking, etc.)
- 28 perpetrators arrested.
- Recovered stolen property.
- Cable theft decreased in the study area from an average of 4/5 incidents per month, to zero incidents for three consecutive months.

RESULTS AFTER FULL IMPLEMENTATION ON THE ENTIRE WESTERN CAPE NETWORK - OCTOBER 2002
The following is the result of the abovementioned implementation:

OCTOBER 2002 - DECEMBER 2002
- Serious crime-related incidents - Decreased 63%.
- Serious liability incidents - Decreased 60%.
- Murder - Decreased 63%.
- Attempted murder - Decreased 63%.
- Assault - Decreased 58%.
- Robbery - Decreased 53%.
- Asset damage - Decreased 20%.

IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY AND SECURITY STRATEGY
Metrorail and SARCC are currently investigating and implementing a number of additional operational actions to further augment the overall safety and security strategy in the Western Cape:
- Ensure doors are closed before trains depart.
- Replace windows with vandal proof composite materials to decrease theft of windows.
- Investigating the testing of an alarm panic button on trains.
- Re-deployment of security guards.

Mr J Radebe, MP
ACTING MINISTER OF TRANSPORT