Rail travel should be revisited as a contributor to sustainable tourism, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) CEO Zolani Matthews said this week, noting that this is especially important in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Speaking to the Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Economic Development, on November 9, he said rail transport was “the backbone of South Africa’s economy” as it connects the “marginalised to the marketplace and the mainstream economy”.

Matthews highlighted that PRASA would, in this regard, be focusing on raising awareness of heritage railway journeys, as well as scenic train routes, around South Africa, as these are what tourists are generally attracted to.

“Railways by their nature are economic development engines, thus securing PRASA assets, and rebuilding and recovering the declined train services will be the critical aim in restoring PRASA’s principal role of mobility,” he elaborated.

He further acknowledged PRASA’s role in creating a cleaner environment through the reduction of carbon emissions and decongesting road traffic.

“Apart from the current state of unprecedented theft and vandalism, PRASA has and is restoring its massive railway base to fulfil its service obligation as legislated in the Legal Succession Act of South African Transport Services Act of 1989, as amended in November 2008,” Matthews commented.

He emphasised that PRASA’s recovery was not a choice “but a legal obligation” as part of efforts to address economic issues and productivity, ensure better land use and provide social benefits to low-income earners, job seekers and many more.

Matthews gave more insight on PRASA’s action plans to facilitate economic growth in the Eastern Cape in partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the Buffalo City Development Agency Department.

PRASA’s overall turnaround strategy also falls in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to boost economic growth, job creation and attract investment to South Africa. 

PRASA BUSINESS RECOVERY PROGRAMME

To secure PRASA’s assets, Matthews said the rail entity would accelerate moving towards a closed system through technology (such as walling and closed-circuit television) to reduce railway accidents and reduce the associated railway costs owing to crime.

He added that this move would assist in recovering PRASA’s operations, which currently account for 60% of the group’s expenditure, while simultaneously increasing the reliability, availability, predictability, safety and security of PRASA’s operations.

Additionally, Matthews mentioned a focused brand-recovery approach, sequence and priority, which the entity intends to use to accelerate the delivery of PRASA’s group capital and modernisation programme, rolling stock, infrastructure network and station facilities management.

All of these initiatives are aimed at growing customer patronage, which will ultimately be reliant on PRASA’s group restructuring, and business efficiencies through a critical policies review over the course of the next 12 to 24 months.

Matthews also intends to instil a culture of transparency and accountability, including change management, to deal with the business’s transformation.

PRASA’s mobility plan, in the interim, will be a service designed to accommodate up to 93 000 passengers daily, and will be integrated with other public transport systems.

Funding for this plan will be allocated through PRASA’s capital expenditure of about R2-billion.