The Athlone train station subway couldn’t be used on Monday September 23 after oil was found covering its floor and nearby streets.
Security at the station saw the oil on Sunday September 22, at about 6pm, according to Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) spokesperson Zinobulali Mihi.
The oil was cleaned up the following day, she said.
The incident was not reported to the police, according to Athlone police station spokeswoman Sergeant Zita Norman.
However, an Athlone woman, who did not want her name published for safety reasons, said her daughter had been unable to use the subway on Monday and had had to walk a longer route to get home.
She added that her daughter had at other times avoided using the subway because she feared being robbed by suspicious characters who hung around there, and security staff and refused to escort her.
She said commuter safety did not appear to be a priority for Prasa.
Her daughter, who uses the train to get to work, now got off at Crawford station and caught an e-hailing taxi home to Athlone as a safety precaution, she said.
“As a result, at times when I cannot afford an Uber, I have to walk to the station to collect her. Why do we have to be held hostage by these lowlifes?
“My daughter begged security to accompany her through the subway, and they refused.
“When she got to the subway, she was approached by two suspicious criminals who asked for something to eat. She tried putting on a brave face by telling them she doesn’t have, and their response was: ’We can see you afraid of us.’ She then turned around and the security guards at the station still refused to assist her. She then had to come the long way home by crossing at the level crossing.
“Prasa wanted to increase passengers and just as the passengers are feeling safe, the robbing and attacks start to happen.”
Ms Mihi said Prasa was investigating to determine where the oil had come from.
Security staff were posted at the station from Monday to Saturday, but there was minimal security on Sundays when no trains ran, she said.
She conceded that vagrancy was a problem in the area.
“We have ongoing rail safety campaigns with various stakeholders,” she said.
No robberies, threats or other crimes against individuals had been reported to security staff at the station either by the public or the Athlone police, she said, adding that Prasa advised commuters to report any crime-related incidents to guide the deployment of security resources.
“It is also important to note that the subway is used by both our commuters and the public,” she said.
Sergeant Norman said that no cases of robbery or theft had been reported to Athlone police station.
