Re: Start of ARTC.

["Ben Staples" <BenKim@bigpond.com>]

It is interesting that you say that the ARTC should receive a subsidy, as
the road industry at the moment receives a subsidy via massive government
grants (if you read any of the road recovery reports).

What needs to be displayed to the public (voters), is the amount of money
being given by the government to the trucking industry. Tell me if I'm
wrong, but one report stated that only 20% of the road damage caused by the
largest trucks is recovered by diesel exise and registration fees.

As one American quote about the trucking industry goes,
"Up hill slow, down hill fast, tonnage first, safety last".

Ben Staples



Barry Campbell wrote in message <6nd72g$1q0$1@news.mel.aone.net.au>...
>
>Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>>One of the major problems that ARTC will face in maintaining the track and
>>improving it , is the relatively small number of trains that run over
>it,and
>>the level of track access charges they will realistically be able to levy.
>
>
><snip>
>
>
>You've hit the nail on the head Maurie. One of the biggest problems rail
has
>in Australia is the relatively small amount of traffic offering. You can
see
>why it's so tempting for governments to spend money on projects such as
>upgrading the Pacific Hwy which most certainly saves motorists' lives, wins
>votes and can be used by B-doubles etc and save the expense on upgrading
the
>railway without unduly impairing transport eficiency. Mind you, this is a
>short term view. The fact is that ARTC and anything else like it will need
>to be subsidised as a public utility.
>
>Barry Campbell
>
>