PHUTI MOSOMANE
THE residents of the Free State who attended the public hearings on the Railway Safety Bill, organised by the Portfolio Committee on Transport, in Botshabelo, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, have called for the reinstatement of the long distance and local train service in the province.
A majority of the members of the public in those public hearings said bringing back the train service will reduce the number of cars and trucks on the roads which connect Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho, and also reduce road accidents.
The residents said the train is a safer and cheaper mode of transport compared to road transport and will also boost the economy of the province. The committee was also asked to influence the government to enforce a law that will ban the transportation of dangerous goods by road, and that commodities such as gas, fuel, explosives and coal should be moved strictly via rail.
The committee is conducting public hearings to solicit citizens’ views on the draft legislation which seeks to improve safety regulations within the railway environment, and also ensure that rail becomes an attractive mode of transport and contributes towards economic growth.
The Railway Safety Bill seeks to improve the regulatory framework around rail safety in the country for both goods and passengers, it also wants to provide guidance and clarity on governance of the rail safety regulator and provide answers to some concerns raised by rail operators
Public participation is a constitutional imperative for Parliament and the committee believes the people’s inputs will help make this draft legislation a better Bill.
INSIDE METROS