Privatising our roads

[CurlyBlakey]

Is it just me or are the proposals outlined today by the government to allow private funding for new roads in the UK (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17423693) simply idiotic?

My argument runs along the lines that, quite frankly, the long term future of transport in the UK is away from the road network, we should be concerntrating on building new rail infrastructure over roads, as railways have far less environmental and visual impact.

Roads will still be part of our transport future, but i just don't see how we really need any brand new routes? We should be spending money on making the current network fit for purpose, i.e. filling in potholes and expanding existing routes yet the government has gone out of it's way to say this will not be what the private investment funding will be for.

Which leaves me with only one conclusion, that all the government is doing is following an ideological path away from public ownership towards private companies whose profits we will end up funding! I just don't see how it is going to work.

Feel free to disagree!

 

[Yarek]

Hark at you getting all political :lol:

Only messing - ElliotReidMD just vlogged about this. Was the first I'd heard of it.

Without getting too political - I have a problem with anything that forms basic infrastructure being funded privately, unless it is a necessity AND it can't possibly be funded any other way. I doubt roads fall under that category, so yeah, sounds idiotic to me too.

 

[Friz]

Reading that article, I'm undecided.

Overall I really like their goal, but I'm on the fence about the means.

People won't jump from their cars to trains just like that, though Blake. Although I agree it'd be great if they did!
Cars are too easy to get around in. They're on your door step and you can go where you want when you want.

People won't give that up to go on a train with a bunch of other people, unfortunately.

On a final note, I heavily advise anyone from posting in this topic with a big political rant or anything along those lines.

 

[CurlyBlakey]

People won't jump from their cars to trains just like that, though Blake. Although I agree it'd be great if they did!
Cars are too easy to get around in. They're on your door step and you can go where you want when you want.

People won't give that up to go on a train with a bunch of other people, unfortunately.

Get that excuse my wording, i meant more that for longer journeys, which we use motorways for could for some people be replaced with high speed trains

I am a bit of a fan of high speed rail since my little trip on Eurostar, London to Paris in just over 2 hours is fandabidozy!

 

[Friz]

People won't jump from their cars to trains just like that, though Blake. Although I agree it'd be great if they did!
Cars are too easy to get around in. They're on your door step and you can go where you want when you want.

People won't give that up to go on a train with a bunch of other people, unfortunately.

Get that excuse my wording, i meant more that for longer journeys, which we use motorways for could for some people be replaced with high speed trains

That'd still be nice, but I can't see everyone doing it. Same reasons as before, travel in a car/on a bike and you've got much more freedom when travelling and when you're there.

Can take lots more stuff with you too.

And, not to mention its much cheaper. When going down to London for the bike show, it cost double what the whole trip would have cost on my bike for just getting down there on the train.
It wouldn't have cost much more to go in the car either, although considering the event and location the train was a much more viable course of action.

All that being said, this debate is invalid anyway. While the article didn't exactly feature on it, it did mention a bit on trains.

Part of the solution was to move more people and goods onto the rail network, Mr Cameron said, "but also to widen pinch points, add lanes to motorways by using the hard shoulder to increase capacity and dual overcrowded A-roads".

Personally I believe its the media doing its typical media thing

 

[CurlyBlakey]

Probably is, but it gives me something to entertain myself by moaning about!

 

[Chessecake94]

I everytime a cager pulls out, it should automatically add them to a cull list. Should sort out congestion.

 

[Mikesmotorbike]

I everytime a cager pulls out, it should automatically add them to a cull list. Should sort out congestion.

best idea ever!

 

[extreme601]

WTF are they going to try privatising next? The Police? The NHS? Oh.. wait..

 

[Chessecake94]

WTF are they going to try privatising next? The Police? The NHS? Oh.. wait..

I suppose it's better than the service being cut back....oh wait. (Anyone see a pattern here)
We have to fund those top councillors wages somehow.

 

[extreme601]

We have to fund those top councillors wages somehow.

And the private companies' profit margins, can't forget those.

 

[Trinith]

This probably won't be a terribly popular opinion, and I don't know -exactly- what is going on (not gonna read too much about it either,) but I've had some experience with privately held toll roads.

Austin got a whole bunch of new toll roads a few years back, all of them built, maintained, and collected on by private companies. As far as I know there were 2 companies. One of them is chinese and owns a pretty short section of road, and they fuck -everyone- they can. Not going to get into it more than to say I was charged 2 tolls going through there once. Once for my truck, and once for my bike in the back of my truck. You get the idea.

The other company, however, is fucking awesome. They'll accept practically any form of payment (where the state-owned roads are -very- selective) and don't charge any more than the price of a stamp for mailing you a bill. The roads themselves are among the smoothest, best-kept ones I've ever been on.

Yes, these companies pretty much bought Texas' governor, and they are making a shitload of money off the whole situation, but they are also providing a much better product than the state itself can provide.

Edit: Oh, and the private toll roads are cheaper than the ones run by the state. Another bonus.

 

[Bloke]

Only private road I know of charges me £6 to cover something like 2 miles. It's also a shit road, undulating and pothole rife.

Thankfully bikes go free.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk