VOC News spoke to commuters on Tuesday morning at the Philippi East taxi rank, where they were anxiously waiting for minibus taxis to arrive after waiting for hours. Many expressed frustrations, blaming Metrorail for cancelling the morning peak train services.
“I have been standing here for two hours, and I start work at 8 o’clock,” one commuter said.
A high school student mentioned that they had been waiting at the taxi rank since 6 AM. Another commuter commented, “The taxis aren’t coming because there are no trains, and our queue is getting longer because some taxis arrive at other lines and leave while we are still here.”
This situation follows an arson attack reported at the Nyanga taxi rank on Sunday evening by the South African Police Services (SAPS). The blaze destroyed 13 taxis, four Sprinter buses, and a civilian vehicle, leaving many commuters stranded for transport on Monday.
Meanwhile, train services at Nolungile station in Khayelitsha have been temporarily suspended due to an electrical fault affecting the overhead wires. This incident occurred yesterday afternoon when a train was impacted at Nolungile station. Fortunately, no commuters or crew members were injured.
Metrorail spokesperson Zino Mihi advised commuters to use alternative transportation between Nolungile and Nyanga.
“A technical investigation into the incident is underway. Prasa Metrorail Western Cape apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused and will provide updates as more information becomes available. We hope to restore service within the next two days.”
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm
