Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Mike da Silva here
The Democratic Alliance’s Peter Molapo Constituency Head in Ekurhuleni, Mat Cuthbert MP, and Constituency Chairperson, Cllr Mike Da Silva, has submitted a petition to Parliament, to rescue the Daveyton Train Station.
Responses to parliamentary questions directed to Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, revealed that the station, along with others on the same railway line, became inoperable due to “unprecedented levels of vandalism” that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The non-functional railway hinders Daveyton residents’ ability to access affordable and reliable transport necessary for obtaining economic opportunities.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has previously stated that both the Benoni and Daveyton Train stations would be restored in the 2022/2023 financial year. However, that deadline has long since passed.
Thousands of frustrated residents have since signed the DA’s petition, which urges PRASA, the Minister of Transport, and the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Transport to take action to ensure that they:
- Conduct an oversight visit to the station within the next 3 months to ascertain the scope of the challenges facing the station and to determine what will be required to make it functional again.
- Consider allocating funding to restore the railway network and connect Daveyton to JHB, Springs, and Benoni within a specified timeframe.
- Consider allocating funding to restoring the Daveyton train station, developing a long-term maintenance plan, and putting in place measures to secure it from vandals within a specified timeframe.
The DA will closely monitor developments at the station and will not relent in its efforts until the line is fully operational and the residents of Daveyton can access affordable and reliable transport once more.