Public transit and crime. An exploratory study on commuter’s perceptions of crime in Metrorail trains: a case study of Durban station.

Abstract

Rail transport is regarded as the cheapest mode of on-land transport for commuters who need to travel to and from work or school. It has distinctive characteristics that, over the years, have made it popular as a cost-effective mode of transport that accommodates a high number of people and reduces road congestion. It is an undeniable fact that railway transport has played an important role in many countries’ social and economic development. However, generally tolerant rail commuters in the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, have become increasingly frustrated at the declining quality of rail service delivery. This is evidenced by recent incidents of angry commuters who burnt trains due to failed rail assets, particularly in the Western Cape. These acts have been contemplated as a commuter strategy to enforce and guarantee service improvement by the operator, regardless of the negative effects they have on rail infrastructure and the economic wellbeing of the country as a whole. In terms of Metrorail services, the inconsistency between commuters’ expectations and management’s understanding of their expectations has exacerbated the perception of poor service quality. The rail commuter industry has been plagued by a history of poor service delivery due to inaccessibility, crowding, and poor security as the main reasons for dissatisfaction with railway services. In terms of the unreliability of Metrorail services, research has revealed that trains are rarely on time and tend to stop in the middle of nowhere without notice. This has prompted late arrivals at work and the possibility of job losses for commuters. Moreover, such delays and stoppages lead to train overcrowding and safety risks. As everyone’s main goal is get inside that train as soon as it arrives, getting inside could mean shoving, climbing on top of the train, or hanging from doors or windows. The lack of measures to curb such behaviour highlights the fact that commuters are treated with disdain and that nothing is done to reduce overcrowding and the unreliability of Metrorail services. Moreover, there has been a growing concern about crime becoming a major issue for law-abiding commuters. Both major crimes such as acts of violence, murder or robbery and minor crimes such as pick-pocketing occur regularly on trains or at stations. Due to ever-changing pattern within the transport sector, crime has succeeded into instilling fear in commuters. As a result, it has become a serious problem in South Africa that does not only have a negative effect on commuters, but on the economy of the country as well. Public transport networks provide a number of unique settings (places and times) across which crime and disorder can occur. These spaces include train stations and inside trains where there is no security. It was against this background that an extensive literature review was embarked on and individual interviews were conducted with 20 commuters that had been recruited at a selected train station in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The prime aim of the study was to explore commuters’ perceptions of crime on Metrorail trains. It was anticipated that interviewing commuters who relied on Metrorail services as their main mode of transport would elicit in-depth insight into the issue at hand. A qualitative study design was employed to collect data by conducting semi-structured interviews. Open-ended questions that allowed the participants to share their experiences openly without being limited in any way were asked in the interview schedule. A thematic analysis process was used to make sense of the data from the various themes that emerged. To understand the criminological phenomenon under study, two significant theories were utilised to underpin this study namely, the routine activities theory and the crime pattern theory. The findings suggest that a lack of patrol officers on trains and at train stations, as well as the high level of overcrowding on trains, are contributing factors towards the high crime rates in this industry. The data that were collected from the interviews were substantiated by the findings of earlier studies that suggested that, due to affordability, more people were using railway transport currently than in the past. However, as the number of commuters increased, so did crime. The findings further propose that the ineffectiveness of policies and legislations that are in place to curb crime in the railway sector calls for a revitalisation of the purpose to provide safe, secure and reliable Metrorail services to commuters.