Metrorail told to close doors
2003-06-30 16:31
Cape Town - Cape Metrorail must keep the coach doors of its train closed while trains are running, the Cape High Court ruled on Monday.
The court also ruled that any doors that do not stay closed must be locked, the Cape Argus reported.
Jutice Dennis Davis, sitting with Justice Belinda van Heerden, said the prejudice and harm facing commuters travelling in unsafe trains far outweighed any Metrorail might suffer in trying to secure coach doors.
Although two people had died and 79 had been injured since victims of violence on trains first asked the court to force Metrorail to make coaches safer, the company appealed in February against a high court judgment that gave the service 120 days to make travel safe for commuters.
Monday's judgment came a month after the Rail Commuters' Action Group brought an urgent application for the Cape High Court to order Metrorail to keep train doors closed while trains are running.
In February, judges Davis and Van Heerden found that Metrorail had failed to meet the statutory standards of a service run in the public interest, and ordered it to not operate "otherwise than in accordance with the terms of its general operating instructions", which includes doors being closed while trains are in motion.
The court also ordered Metrorail to pay the costs of the application. Metrorail's appeal will be heard in September.
Joe Frylinck, chair of the Rail Commuters' Action Group, welcomed the ruling and said that Metrorail would be in contempt of court if trains travelled with open doors.
- SAPA