Railway Safety Regulator

The Railway Safety Regulator was established to oversee safety in the railway transport industry. The 2008/09 financial year marked the fourth year of the RSR’s existence as a fully-fledged institution. The creation of the RSR was a groundbreaking initiative. The task of establishing an independent institution to regulate safe operations in the railway industry has been a challenging one. We had to test a terrain that was completely new to this country and the African continent. Despite these challenges, we have been able to establish an institution that is set to fully respond to the mandate outlined in its founding legislation.Improving safety performance in South Africa’s railways remains the fundamental driver of the RSR’s mandate and all its efforts are concentrated on achieving this objective, which must result in a safe and reliable transport system.

Moreover, the users of the rail system, both in the passenger and freight transport environments, need the assurance that the transportation of persons and goods, including dangerous and heavy haul commodities will be conveyed in the most efficient, effective and safe manner. Over the last few years the RSR has made significant strides in its efforts to improve safety performance in South African railways. The 2008/09 annual report outlines the progress we have made to implement the mandate of the RSR as outlined in the National Railway Safety Regulator Act, 2002 (Act No. 16 of 2002).

Charles Ntuli
Chairperson: RSR Board of Directors