Councillors praise all uniting after train accident
'We once again send our condolences to the injured and the families and wish them a speedy recovery' - DA
DA ward councillors congratulated everybody who stood together to help the injured at the scene of the train accident at Van Riebeeck Park Railway Station on Thursday.
Ward councillors Jaco Terblanche, Gideon van Zyl and Tracey Lourenco were at the scene.
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Speaking to Express, Lourenco said: “The DA in Ekurhuleni sends its condolences to the victims and families of the accident. The truly tragic side to this story is that the injured were mostly job seekers, sole breadwinners and those who barely make ends meet. The knock-on social effect of their injuries cannot be underestimated.”
Van Zyl said: “As ward councillors in the City of Ekurhuleni, we have witnessed a number of similar accidents in the past which too have resulted in injuries and even death. They have become all too commonplace due to a combination of ailing transport infrastructure, a lack of maintenance and mechanical problems.
“In spite of the fact that passenger rail is a national competency, the failure to provide safe commuting affects all residents of Ekurhuleni and all measures must be taken by all spheres of government to ensure the safety of our commuters.“
Terblanche congratulated all the individuals and organisations that united and worked together to respond to the emergency in such an urgent and timeous manner.
“These include the departments of emergency management services, metro police, police, various community policing forums and civic organisations.
“We once again send our condolences to the injured and the families and wish them a speedy recovery.”
