It has always intrigued me why trucks are allowed to haul freight interstate when we have a perfectly good rail to do the same job.
(a) Road repair costs are astronomical. Fixing road damage caused by trucks keeps local councils busy and keeps folks employed.
(b) Selling Diesel keeps petrol stations busy and keeps folks employed.
(c) Loading and unloading trucks keeps freight company profits up and keep folks employed.
There is a better way and it is so logical. I am dumbfounded why politicians have not yet done this.
- Nationalise all rail networks.
- Rationalise all Rail Networks to same standard.
- Send all interstate freight to rail (no exceptions)
- Establish rail heads in each state where trucks can pickup localised stock. (example Qld: Sunshine Coast, Maryborough, Bundaberg. Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville, Cairns and then add a few inland rail heads. Not rocket science is it?
Federal Government standardised charges at each rail head for pickups.
Freight companies pay Fed Government and on charge their customers for deliveries.
So what do we get for all the trouble of rationalisation?
(note: rationalisation is a GOOD word and leads to lower costs, deregulated is a BAD word and leads to higher costs.)
Well, we get better roads because they do not need to be fixed all the time. After we get better roads then our road money needs to be spend somewhere else like buying back our toll roads. Now THAT would be NICE.
Oh, not so much diesel will be sold. Bugger me, the oil companies will go broke but then what will the trains use for fuel? Fair bet trains use a lot less fuel for the same cargo?
What about truck tyre sellers, will they sell less tyres? Poor buggers.
What about huge line haul trucks? They'll be off the road.
OK, so you got the message of massive benefits and savings in direct and indirect benefits.
So why haven't the Federal Government nationalised freight?
Because there are NO VOTES in it. Because Government has been reactive rather than proactive.
If Government were PROACTIVE, we would have nothing to complain about.
Wonder what it is like living in Sweden where cars are running on hydrogen power that create water as an emission?
by
Steve Wotherspoon |
