Transnet’s safety campaign
With October being Transport Month, Springs Transnet train crew and a few members of the EMPD were visible at the Springs/Welgedacht level crossing last Thursday.
Pamphlets and bags from the Gauteng Province Community Safety department were handed out to put the emphasis on the aim of this project – to create safety awareness about the danger of level crossings and railway lines.
Transnet’s area office manager in Springs Matemule Phasha says one life lost is one too many.
According to Transnet in Sentrarand’s senior manager Meryl Pretorius, every Thursday a safety simposium is held all over the country to discuss various subjects of the danger of crossing railway lines.
“It is an ongoing cycle and very important, not only for Transnet, but also for the Gauteng Railway Police,” says Pretorius.
She adds the driver sometimes sees danger ahead, but cannot stop immediately, therefore they have to live with the terrible guilt of killing someone.
“We do offer counselling to these drivers, but it is still very traumatic to them, as they cannot prevent these accidents,” she explains.
Train driver’s do not have the same choices as a motorist, as it takes a loaded train approximately 2km to come to a standstill.
Also visible on the day was the Gauteng Road Safety Promotion Unit (GRSPU) who feels this crossing poses a danger to a lot of school children crossing to go to school.
The GRSPU Springs office inspector Johnny Msiza says awareness is important, and if the community sees all the different departments working together they will know that we mean business.
Msiza says people living next to railway lines seem to be relaxed and do not realise the danger these line pose.
“This railway line was previously listed as one of the most dangerous level crossings, but this year no serious accidents have been reported yet,” says Phasha.
He concludes they have to invest in educating schools and the community about the dangers of crossing railway lines.
