Re: The Federal Budget - Rail forgotten??

["Barry Campbell" <campblbm@ozemail.com.au>]

Ben Staples <98711576@student.hawkesbury.uws.edu.au> wrote in message
<7hgvdj$5rq@ob1.uws.EDU.AU>...
>
>
>I can a appreciate how frustrating it is when the NSW government forms RAC
>so they can capture all track cost and demand a return on their investment
>when they do no such thing with the roads of this state. I wish politicians
>would have the guts to form the Roads and Traffic Corporation and demand
>that it makes a profit by directly charging its users just like RAC. Then
we
>will finally be able to see the true cost of supply of all thses roads.
Some
>politicians can be complete bastards setting totally different standards
for
>the same commodity (i.e. transport). In the days of user pays why am I
>paying for some arse wipe to drive down a new freeway or upgraded road
which
>I don't use??
>
Unfortunately the reality is that road users pay for the roads many times
over. In fact they pay  for the roads and contribute a healthy subsidy to
consolidated revenue. The problem is that much of the payment is made by
private motorists. When private motoring once again ceases to be a mass
pursuit and the roads become largely commercial transitways, as the railways
have always been, then things may change. I'm not sure it will happen in my
lifetime.


Barry Campbell