The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has condemned vandalism targeting its trains.
The railway agency is appealing to the public to help curb the incidents. The stone throwing at moving trains has resulted in cracked and broken windows in some cases.
Spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said the stone throwing on its reopened lines is dangerous and illegal. It also results in the disruption of services while Prasa repairs the damage.
Pretoria hotspots
Initial evidence from an investigation into the vandalism suggests that most incidents occur on the northern corridor in Pretoria.
The hotspot areas include Kopanong, Soshanguve and the Moshate informal settlement.
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“Vandalism of the newly built trains is unacceptable and should be condemned as the trains are a public good and belong to the people, for many of whom commuter rail is the most affordable option for travel,” said Makanda.
Prasa is also using surveillance technology and will deploy officers at the hotspots to put an end to the vandalism.
“Local Police, Metro Police, and Rapid Rail Police have also been briefed and they will form part of the solution to deal with stone-throwing,” added Makanda.
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