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

["Graeme Cleak" <gcleak@optusnet.com.au>]

Err, I think David McLoughlin is a bit confused about how the Melbourne
Franchises work.   All the big players (mainly British Bus Transport
Companies) established Bid Teams in Melbourne.  And I dont  think that CGEA
and National Express  outbid SERCO , Firstgroup, Stagecoach etc by trading
in Peppercorns etc. for the 'privilege'  of being a Franchisee.  Try Aus
Dollars.


Graeme Cleak


David McLoughlin <davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz> wrote in message
399F393D.7B3C@iprolink.co.nz">news:399F393D.7B3C@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