The City of Cape Town’s Council yesterday, 3 December 2014, recommended that Transport for Cape Town (TCT) undertake a public participation process for the construction of a pedestrian bridge south of the Nyanga station and Lansdowne Road. Following from this public participation process, it is expected that the design for the construction of a pedestrian bridge will commence in the 2015/16 financial year. This recommendation is in response to a comprehensive investigation that was conducted by Transport for Cape Town, the City’s transport authority, into pedestrian movements along and across rail lines in the city between April 2013 and May 2014, as per a request from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). The movement of cyclists was included in this study as bicycles have to be carried across the rail lines. ‘Going forward, Transport for Cape Town will also work together with PRASA, Metrorail and the National Department of Transport (NDoT) on an implementation programme and action plan for the next five years to address pedestrian safety at railway lines. As per existing legislation, the City, PRASA and the NDoT have different institutional responsibilities and line functions with regard to railway crossings. The collaboration between TCT, these two key role players, and Metrorail is thus of vital importance if we want to address the high number of fatalities and injuries due to pedestrians crossing rail lines illegally,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron. According to Metrorail’s statistics, up to 68 fatalities were recorded in the vicinity of the stations in Nyanga (26), Philippi (15), Heideveld (9), Netreg (9) and Bonteheuvel (9) between 2010 and 2013 and as a direct result of pedestrians crossing railway lines at places where there are no formal pedestrian or vehicle crossings. As such, one of the significant recommendations from Council is the undertaking of a public participation process by TCT to determine the appropriate location and subsequent budget provision for the construction of a pedestrian bridge south of the Nyanga station, where the highest number of fatalities have been recorded over this three-year period. ‘This, in part, will address one of the findings in the study that a large number of people need to cross railway lines on a daily basis and that the provision for formal crossings in areas with high volumes of pedestrians is generally not being given priority,’ said Councillor Herron. During the study, up to 24 pedestrian and vehicle level crossings were audited and assessed in terms of infrastructure, pedestrian protection and accessibility, access control systems, fencing, and signage. It was found that most pedestrian crossings have adequate signage, but are lacking in maintenance of the rail reserve, fencing and access control and that there is inadequate provision for pedestrians and cyclists at vehicle level crossings. The maintenance, upgrade and monitoring of these 24 level crossings is therefore recommended. The study also identified 16 hotspot locations across the city in need of intervention where people are crossing rail lines in the absence of formal pedestrian crossings, as well as legal pedestrian and vehicle crossings where the conditions for pedestrians have to be improved. In fact, it was found that the area north and south of Heideveld has the highest volume of people crossing the rail line (nearly 1 900 daily), followed by the area south of Nyanga (707 daily). Heideveld and surrounding areas also had the highest number of people moving along the railway line (over 2 300 daily), while east and west of Bonteheuwel station had the second highest number (nearly 1 400 daily). ‘These figures confirm the seriousness of the challenge we are facing as the City, PRASA and Metrorail to improve the safety along our railway lines. Of even greater concern is that children accounted for 40% of the pedestrian movement east and west of Bonteheuwel station between Philippi and Mandalay station; east of Langa station; and north and south of Heideveld station,’ said Councillor Herron. The study established that a high number of pedestrians walk along rail lines or cross rail lines at places where it is prohibited to do so. Up to 16 hotspot locations were identified through the utilisation of high quality video recording devices that were mounted on the front and back of moving trains to capture pedestrian and vehicular movement. Additional field studies were conducted at these hotspots during the morning and afternoon peak hours where pedestrian movement was counted along the rail lines, across the rail lines and at the platforms. As such, the following hotspot locations have been identified: • South of Netreg station • East and west of Bonteheuvel station • North and south of Eikenfontein station • North and south of Heideveld station • South of Nyanga station Interventions proposed to address the hotspot locations include fencing, pathways, pedestrian bridges or underpasses, signage informing pedestrians that the crossing of rail lines is illegal, and safety awareness campaigns. ‘While the City is responsible for the pathways and pedestrian bridges that provide street-to-street access, it is PRASA’s institutional responsibility to provide and maintain fencing, to maintain the bridges and subways that provide pedestrians with access from the road to the platform and between platforms, to place signage and host awareness campaigns, and to maintain the infrastructure within the rail reserve and the associated assets. It is possible to improve our residents’ safety at rail lines and we are committed to working together with PRASA, the NDoT and Metrorail, with whom we already have a sound relationship, in realising this objective,’ said Councillor Herron.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 08:25:15 +0000
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