Cape Town has taken a major step towards running its own passenger rail system after approving a Rail Business Plan aimed at shifting control of Metrorail services away from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa PRASA and into municipal hands.
The decision clears the way for the City to formally approach the National Department of Transport with a memorandum requesting that rail operations be devolved to local government. If approved, it would mark a significant shift in how commuter rail services are managed in the metro, as per GroundUp .
Mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the transfer of responsibility cannot happen without financial backing from National Treasury, stressing that any handover would require a multi-year funding agreement to be viable. Without this support, he indicated, devolution would remain out of reach.
