Hope lessons learnt from derailment
WITH reference to "Train derails in Bay" (June 27), while one realises the severity of this incident, the article reads like a drama comedy often seen on television. With today's infrastructure slowly crumbling to a level where billions would have to be spent to restore most facilities to an acceptable level, one is not surprised to see a train derailing.
While Prasa spokeswoman Mimi Katsio has indicated a full investigation will follow, the public will once again anxiously await such a report, which by today's standards will probably take months, and we might never see the result of such an investigation. It is probably a simple matter of the railway lines not having been inspected regularly nor maintained properly.
To make matters worse, workers stated that train schedules would not be affected. One immediately wonders how that would be possible and ask the question: could the fault be rectified that soon or do they have access to spare lines?
This question was answered by virtue of the fact that regular commuters were stranded as trains could not leave.
Why is there in present times always an "agency" and in this case "Shosholoza, a division of The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa"? Whatever happened to the plain and simple old South African Railways which, over the many years of my life in Port Elizabeth, I do not recall ever having seen involved in this type of thing?
The part of the article that really interested me even more was the matter regarding the overturning of the fire truck. Shane Brown is quick on the defence to state that it was unlikely the accident was due to negligence.
He further states that these (state-of-the-art) trucks are not easy to drive and that it was heavily loaded with equipment. In light of this would one then not expect for the fire department to employ a highly qualified and experienced driver to man such a vehicle?
Would these trucks not be fully loaded with equipment all the time?
He goes on to say: "The guys were called out to what they thought was a serious situation." Is the "thinking" left to the "guys" or does the controller, who initially takes the call, have the necessary qualifications to make the assessment from the caller's information to determine the severity of the situation thereby able to pass the relevant information to a suitably qualified supervisor?
Yes sir, a train overturned, yes, it is serious. That's why your department was called. Yes, they had to move fast (do they normally move slowly?) and the truck is brand new but not to worry it is repairable, compliments of the taxpayer.
Fortunately in all of this there were no serious injuries or lives lost, but hopefully somebody will learn a lesson from this incident.
George van der Merwe, South End, Port Elizabeth
