The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Chief Executive Officer Hishaan Emeran has called on the railway transport sector in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to continue to invest in the development, upgrade and maintenance of rail infrastructure.
“The introduction of modern rolling stock will boost efficiencies and help divert traffic from the roads. We need to collaborate to solve shared challenges because rail transport provides both an efficient and the most affordable mode of transport for passengers and goods,” Emeran said on Thursday in Cape Town.
He made these comments during his acceptance speech as the newly elected President of the Southern African Railways Association (SARA), which is an organisation dedicated to promoting and enhancing rail transport services across the SADC region.
The President committed to acquainting himself with the state of rail in the SARA region by visiting as many of the member countries as possible in an endeavour to address challenges in the sector.
“With our collective commitment to making the railway industry the preferred means of transportation for goods, services, and people - we also acknowledge that the region’s railway transport sector has not been without challenges.
“The efficiencies of our rail networks have been compromised by inadequate, in some cases obsolete and poorly maintained rail infrastructure and rolling stock,” Emeran said.
He said the region is at the centre of efforts to promote regional trade and harness sustainable regional economic growth.
“We are at a critical point in our region’s history, at the intersection of opportunity and preparedness and as SARA we have to be ready to play our role in supporting sustainable social and economic growth of our region by delivering robust rail services,” Emeran said. – SAnews.gov.za
