Re: New Melbourne trams have fewer seats than the old ones but they're longer!

[David McLoughlin <davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz>]

Andrew Price wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 20 Aug 2000 13:07:48 +1200, David McLoughlin
> <davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz> wrote:

> >So production of Melbourne's trams shifts from Melbourne to Germany.
> 
> If you deliberately relinquish control of something you own in
> exchange for cash, then the possibility that something like this
> *might* just happen is not to be entirely excluded.

Actually, the taxpayers of Victoria are paying the franchise companies
hundreds of millions of dollars to operate the trams. The companies did
not pay for the franchises, they are being paid to do so.

Only in Melbourne.

At least here in NZ when our government forced local authorities to sell
their bus systems, the new owners (Stagecoach in Auckland and
Wellington) at least had to pay for them.

 
> How do the people of Melbourne now feel about the politicians who are
> responsible for this?

They voted Kennett out at the last election. However legally binding
contracts cannot be broken and the new government, quite rightly, is
sticking with them while trying to reduce the worst of the damage, such
trying to reverse the Kennett deal to abolish clearways on inner city
roads after giving the freeways to private companies to turn into
tollways. Abolishing clearways would have a catastrophic effect on tram
time-keeping, which of course was the intention.

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand