Rail lobby - enlisting Joe Average.

["David Martin" <d_martin@mountains.net.au>]

It is obvious that rail & road do not compete on a level playing field, &
have not done so for decades. A major cause, I suggest, is that the road
transport lobby, both freight & passenger, has far more political clout than
the rail lobby.

By "rail", I refer to both heavy & light (trains & trams).

I have a proposal to use the Web to help make the rail lobby louder, by
attracting Joe & Josephine Average.

Establish a Web site (perhaps on the Railpage server?) aimed at the average
person (NOT the railfan). Promote it via the various Australian banner
exchanges using banners designed to attract the curiosity of the average
person. Eg. "Your taxes - ruining your environment". Proposals for
particular areas could be marketed to appropriate Web sites owners to gain
inbound links. Etc.

The Web site should contain a collection of short, easy-to-read  essays &
news articles showing the advantages of rail, the manner in which taxpayers
money is subsidising the road freight industry, and what the average person
can do about it.

The links page should include How to Lobby Politicians at
http://www.zeta.org.au/~aldis/lobby.html .

Comments?

David Martin
Blue Mountains Railway Pages
http://www.mountains.net.au/plaza/rail/