MP's on Tuesday resolved to summons interim board members of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to account for the failing state of train services in the country.
A subpoena will be issued after the board members failed to pitch for a meeting with Parliament's portfolio committee on transport.
The committee said the failure to account to Parliament showed a complete disregard of board members' obligation to its fiduciary duties.
Prasa group chief executive, Cromet Molepo, said he communicated with the company secretary who told him although board members were tracked down, they were found to be in different places and could not make it to Parliament on Tuesday.
The Committee was scheduled to meet with Prasa, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) and civil society group #UniteBehind to discuss rail operations in South Africa. The problems that have beset the urban rail network include train delays and cancellations which have affected the local economy.
The RSR, #UniteBehind and members of the Prasa executive were the only parties in attendance.
Transport Committee Member, Mtikeni Sibande, said: "The sooner the permanent board is appointed the better. All of them are acting and its not good, this acting and interim thing is not working and this is wasteful expenditure on all of us."
Acting Transport Committee Chair, Leonard Ramatlakane, concurred.
"The Prasa board are not keeping to the requirements. The committee got to the conclusion of a subpoena and this is embarrassing, why did we have to get to this stage?" Ramatlakane asked.
"Everybody who accepted the responsibility of being on a board needs to carry out their responsibilities and that hasn't happened."
He said the postponement of Tuesday's meeting also constituted fruitless expenditure with those who were present having spent taxpayers' money to get to Cape Town.
- African News Agency (ANA)
