hi, we will stay in Newlands near Claremont for 10 days in Sept and will go to the Waterfront and the City etc. Is it safe to take the Metro Train ? And what kind of crime is it, pickpocketing or harassment... rape..?
hi, we will stay in Newlands near Claremont for 10 days in Sept and will go to the Waterfront and the City etc. Is it safe to take the Metro Train ? And what kind of crime is it, pickpocketing or harassment... rape..?
Yes it is safe.
Buy a first class ticket and use coaches with other people in them. There is now excellent security on this line. "What kind of crime?" - very little! Check with the thousands of locals and visitors who used this train route all through the World Cup. The main terminal station and many of the stations on the line were significantly upgraded for the tournament.
On point is, that now the WC is over, the train has reverted to the standard timetable which is focussed on work hours. It doesn't run in the evenings.
If you are using it often - both to go into the city and down to the coast look at getting a hop-on-hop-off tourist ticket. All day use for R30 (EU3) or two days for R50. It is also possible to get a weekly season ticket for a specific journey : http://www.capemetrorail.co.za/Communication/External_Communication/Southern%20Rail%20Route%202009/Brochure/SLTR%20Brochure%20.htm
Edited: 13 years agoThank you very much..! I was a little ironic as to the crime, because there is talk about crime ALL the time when one reads about CT, so one starts to wonder.... Are u yourself a Capetonian, if so, I might have some more questions - if it ok with you. Although u will have to check here on tripadvisor, or is it possible to mail you "privately"?
No problem. Maybe if you are interested in safety around Cape Town you might like to read what some of the hundreds of thousands who came here for the World Cup found out about how distorted, especially the European, Media reports are about South Africa :
As a Destination Expert for Cape Town, and definitely living here, I am happy to answer questions. I check the forums frequently! If you have a specific personal question just send me a TA message by clicking in my name. But if the question is of general interest post it on here as dozens of other vistors can also then get information from it.
keep asking!
As already expertly stated, the trains are fine. In January we were having lunch at the station in Muisenberg & there were loads of tourists using the train to get to the beach. (The lunch was brilliant as is the view!)
Remember the old saying of "safety in numbers". Be vigillant at all times and try to blend in as best you can. Don't "act like a tourist" and carry ipods, cameras etc around you neck. Although Metrorail have jacked up their security quite substantially, crime is still a very real threat in SA and it is always better to be safe then sorry.
Edited: 13 years agoI've done a lot of research on the safety issue, which involved the metro rail marketing person and the security company who looks after the safety on trains. They have security officers on the trains on that line. They also have cleaning staff on the train all day. Then they also lock down some of the carriages during off peak time so they can concentrate security on less coaches.
It's an excellent option to stay in the Southern Suburbs and the Cape Flats as the accommodation is often excellent and the prices are really good. In most cases you only need a place that is really affordable, clean and safe.
Good luck with your train travels and please inform us of your experiences afterwards
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