The North Gauteng High Court today issued a supervisory order instructing the Passenger Rail Agency of(PRASA) to comply with the safety requirements set out by the Railway Safety Regulator.
PRASA was issued with a suspension notice by the RSR on 5 October 2018 for non-compliance and breach of its saf. As a result of the court order, the RSR Board has since rescinded the suspension.
Compliance with the terms of the court order will henceforth be mentioned under judicial case management by Judge Cassim Sardiwalla. The legal consequences of the court order are that PRASA is required to comply with its safety requirements as prescribed by the RSR in the safety permit. PRASA is further instructed to provide periodic feedback to the RSR and Judge Sardiwalla. In turn, the RSR is required to provide the Judge with confirmation of compliance by PRASA.
Judge Sardiwalla described the case as a matter of national importance, acknowledging PRASA’s obligation to ensure safe railway operations for both its workers and the commuters who rely on trains as their main mode of transport.
The Board of Directors of the RSR and its Acting CEO, Ms Tshepo Kgare, welcomes the court order and reiterates its commitment to upholding the mandate of the RSR. “It is the duty of the RSR to ensure that railways are safe, secure and reliable. This order supports the RSR’s standpoint that safety must be the number one priority if we are to reduce the number of occurrences on our railways,” said Ms Kgare.
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