Prasa forks out R100m to beef up security
2013-01-04 14:28
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Transport
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Johannesburg - Prasa has allocated R100m to beef up security for Metrorail
employees and commuters following the murder of a train driver at Christmas,
the parastatal said on Friday.
"There was an allocation of R100m to complement the current security
measures, with the introduction of technological security systems such as CCTV
surveillance... [and a] radio communication system, fit for purpose patrol
vehicles," said Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng.
The additional budget follows the murder of train driver JP du Plessis, who
was found stabbed to death in a stationary train outside Hercules station in
Pretoria on 25 December last year.
Management of Passenger Rail Agency of SA, the parent company of Metrorail
and United Transport Trade Union, SA Railway and Harbour Workers Union
(Utatu-Sarhwu), met on Thursday to discuss measures to be taken to improve the
safety of Metrorail employees and commuters.
They agreed that while crime had been reduced by 375 between October 2011
and October 2012, there were further interventions required to improve
security, Mofokeng said.
Interventions
An agreement was reached which included the introduction of mobile armed
guards in identified hotspot areas, visible policing by the SAPS Railway police
and joint operations with Prasa, Mofokeng said.
Helicopter services would be contracted to enable rapid response to
emergency situations.
"The horrific passing of JP Du Plessis has galvanised us to find
solutions in our fight against crime... and we hope that these interventions
will go a long way in ensuring a safe environment for both our employees and
commuters," said Prasa CEO Lucky Montana.
Utatu-Sarhwu expressed its full support of the interventions and agreed with
Prasa that the measures would be reviewed after three months to assess the
impact.
- SAPA
