Khayelitsha commuters unite to tackle Metrorail

The Right to Quality Public Transport coalition was founded by Nkwame Cedile, Dalton Ndongeni and Zingisani Nkanjeni last month when local commuters and activists came together to set in motion a campaign which Nkanjeni sees as “a matter of urgency” for the community. Their initiative is being supported by the Treatment Action Campaign in Khayelitsha.

“Most of us who live in Khayelitsha are affected by the train system,” says Mabhelandile Twani, who heard about the campaign through word of mouth. For many local commuters, Metrorail is the only affordable way to travel to work or school. But the trains are often delayed between stations, routinely causing people to arrive more than an hour late at their destinations.

Zama Timbela, another Khayelitsha commuter, says that people around him have received warnings at work and even been dismissed for arriving late so often. But in spite of the delays and the shoddy condition of the trains, ticket prices are going up, becoming too expensive for many workers, says Timbela.

Members of the coalition are discussing ways to take their complaints forward and campaigning for mass support among Metrorail commuters.

Possible actions include collecting data on the train system’s failures and sending a letter of grievances to Metrorail.

At the second meeting this week Nkanjeni, echoed by several others, emphasized his belief that the campaign should remain under the control of commuters who are directly affected by Metrorail’s problems.

For the moment, the Right to Quality Public Transport campaign is looking for residents and civil society organisations interested in joining.

“We assume everyone who uses the train, whether they use it to go to work or to go to school, will belong to this vision.”