Isithombe: IMeya yoMkhandlu weTheku, uKhansela Cyril Xaba, amalungu eKomidi eliPhethe nabaphathi be-PRASA behlola inqubekelaphambili yamaphrojekthi okuthuthukisa izinsiza zezitimela zabagibeli eThekwini. Isithombe: Nonjabulo Chamane.
SHEILA MHLONGO
IMeya yoMkhandlu weTheku, uKhansela Cyril Xaba, income i-Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) ngokusheshisa amaphrojekthi okuhloswe ngawo ukuthuthukisa izinsiza zezitimela zabagibeli edolobheni.
UXaba, amalungu eKomidi eliPhethe kanye nabaphathi abaphezulu be-PRASA bagibele isitimela besuka eDurban Station baya eMlazi. Inhloso yalolu hambo bekuwukuhlola isimo salo mzila nenqubekelaphambili yokuvuselelwa kwezinhlelo zokulawula ukuhamba kwezitimela nezokuxhumana.
I-PRASA iqhuba uhlelo lwezigidigidi eziyi-R11 lokuthuthukisa lezi zinhlelo emizileni eyahlukene. Iphinde itshale cishe izigidigidi ezimbili zamarandi ekuvuseleleni umzila waseMlazi, othwala abagibeli bezitimela abaningi kunayo yonke eminye imizila esifundazweni. Womabili la maphrojekthi asesezigabeni ezahlukene zokwenziwa.
Kulindeleke ukuthi ukuthuthukiswa kwezinhlelo zokulawula izitimela nezokuxhumana kuthuthukise ukuphepha, ukwethembeka kwezinsiza kanye nokuhlelwa kwezikhathi zokuhamba. Uma umsebenzi usuqediwe, kuhloswe ukuthi izitimela zikwazi ukuhamba ngokushiyana ngemizuzu emithathu kuya kwemihlanu. I-PRASA ilindele nokuthi isibalo sabagibeli bonyaka sikhuphuke sisuka ezigidini eziyi-1.8 njengamanje siye kweziyishumi.
Ukulungiselela ukwanda okulindelekile kwabagibeli, i-PRASA isithenge izitimela ezintsha eziyi-101.
Ngokwesitatimende esikhishwe ngoSepthemba, i-PRASA ihlele ukwethula ngokusemthethweni ngo-Okthoba ingxenye yokuqala kweziyisikhombisa osekuqediwe kuyo ukufakwa kohlelo lokulawula ukuhamba kwezitimela. Ingxenye yokuqala iphakathi kweCrossmoor neHavenside, kanti eyesibili iphakathi kweRossburgh nePinetown.
UXaba ubonge uNgqongqoshe wezokuThutha, uBarbara Creecy, nabaphathi be-PRASA ngokutshalwa kwezimali ekuthuthukiseni izinsiza zezitimela zabagibeli eThekwini.
“Lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali kubalulekile ngoba izitimela ziyindlela yokuhamba ekhethwa kakhulu yimiphakathi ehola kancane kanye nabasebenzi,” kusho uXaba.
Uthe ukuvuselelwa kwenethiwekhi yezitimela kubalulekile ekwakheni uhlelo lwezokuthutha umphakathi oluxhumene kahle, oluphephile noluthembekile edolobheni.
Umthombo: Uphiko lweZokumaketha nokuXhumana loMkhandlu weTheku.
