Harmonisation of safety standards across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was identified as one of the major achievements of the Southern African Railway Association (Sara) when Sara president and chief executive officer Stephenson Ngubane addressed media in Johannesburg today.
He said that Sara, in conjunction with the Railway Safety Regulator, had standardised safety expectations across the SADC region.
“By nature there are risks associated with the industry, and often the human factor has caused the accident. The safety standards, therefore, address fatigue, competency and regional training,” said Ngubane.
Infrastructural challenges still remained a concern, he said, noting that there were inefficiencies associated with current rail equipment which was outdated, with capacity failing to meet the growing demand.
“Sara is fully aware of the complexities involved in integrating railway transport in the SADC region, but through collaboration it is possible,” Ngubane concluded.
