What a relief for the train commuters in Khayelitsha after the Central Line was officially opened on Monday 7 April for the trains to run again.
That means Khayelitsha residents can now choose the mode of transport they prefer. The trains returned after they were suspended due to the vandalism on the railway lines and train stations in November 2019.
Their return means a lot not to the commuters only but to the hawkers as well because they will start to sell again. I hope that the whole transport industry in the metro will welcome the return of trains to Khayelitsha and there will be no sabotage or vandalism because some individuals within the industry feel threatened.
We’ve seen some instances where some sectors within the industry are protesting disrupting the operations of buses because they have certain issues with the government.
The industry needs to grow up and have a way of dealing with their issues instead of disrupting everything. We are living in a democratic country where people have a choice on everything, including their preferred mode of transport.
Some people prefer to use trains because they are affordable, never mind their delays sometimes. Now, as a country we have an obligation to protect our facilities from the hooligans. It is unwise for us to destroy or damage the same services that we use daily.
As community members, we need to be smart when we go to the streets and protest. We can’t burn the library because we want houses. That is absurd.
We need to be strategic and focused. If we are protesting, we must know our target. This thing of digging tarred roads or vandalising traffic lights because we want water is not on. How many people lost their jobs and businesses after the trains were suspended due to vandalism at the railway lines and train stations?
Security guards lost their jobs and hawkers lost their businesses as they were surviving by selling in the trains and others on train stations.It is up to us to protect our facilities. I believe some of us know who vandalised the trains, but we prefer to keep quiet.
Let’s stand up and unite against crime.
