Privatised roads

[John F]

Following the government's recent announcement that it's considering 'leasing' roads to private companies because of difficulties in maintaining the road network, is anyone else on here overcome with a deep sense of foreboding that the motorist is about to be on the receiving end of yet another massive dump?

 

Initial response from the likes of the AA have been positive - perhaps unsurprisingly, since the nation's roads are in a shocking state despite the £6 billion or so raised from VED every year (which, under Labour, was spent on sending black lesbian single mothers whale-watching in the Azores and which, under the Conservatives, is being spent on buying gold-plated Fabergé gimp masks for the aristocracy).

 

But is this the thin end of the wedge? Call me a cynic, but I'll show my arse in public if this works out cheaper for the average motorist in the long run. Tolls or suchlike are the obvious incentive to attract private bidders, but will "privatisation of the road network" extend to parking scams, speed cameras, etc?

[maxpower]

as i said on another forum, this is a bad idea, if it goes ahead. and when the roads are put out to tender, then all the big travel companies like virgin, stagecoach,first, national express etc will snap them up and have everyone by the balls whether you travel by air, sea,road or rail.

 

tolls and fares will go through the roof even more so!

 

let's hope the monopolies commission puts a dampner on any of the aboved mentioned companies takeover plan.

[Albert Ross]

Where I come from, I don't need roads. Land Rover. Scaring old ladies and melting icebergs since 1947.

[autofive]

pre-73 cars will be in higher demand (with those reg plates anpr cameras can't read) as ANPR controls the toll roads as the public gets screwed with 'fines' for not paying.

 

the whole scenario stinks of road pricing by the back door

[gallondrunk]

Thin end of the wedge is right, even if they don't turn it all into toll roads.

 

The question is, would any of these investors have any reason at all to improve the roads? Almost certainly not. 99% of them will never even see them. Why would they care what state the road is in?

 

As bad as the roads are now, at least they're drivable. Imagine what it'll be like when a for-profit from China or wherever gets its mits on parts of the road network.

[Mr Lobster]

Question is, would any private companies want to operate toll roads?

 

M6T hasn't exactly made its operators any profits. Ever.

[warren t claim]

Either raising or abolishing the speed limit on the M6 toll would see more people using it.

[Andrew353w]

If you were to drive on a privatised road, from one end to the other and put your car on a trailer at the end of the journey & tow it away, would you need an MOT/road tax/insurance? As it's not a "public road" I just wondered if you'd be able to say it's "Private property"

 

[rant mode "on"] God, I HATE this government; Conservatives, who would sell anything left in this country to "conserve" the fat cats in their cushioned luxury lifestyle [rant mode "off"]

 

Just a thought.....

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

What an incredible pile of shite! It's not like the roads are maintained by civil servants- it's all contracted out at the end of the day. The govt can't even do a bit of quality control on that, and they want to privatise entire roads? Build suburban sprawl and commuter towns then introduce tolls through the back door. The hellhole that is SE England is being exported to the rest of the country. Let's hope this falls through for whatever reason (backlash, disagreement in the coalition, administrative incompetence or whatever).

[vulgalour]

Oh hello Dr Beeching, yes, of course I'll hold that axe for you.

[TimothyClaypole]

Probably why they've put down/killed off any viable jet packs or rocket cars.

 

Keep the buggers on the roads so we can carry on rinsing them.

 

Not heard one word of appology for what's happened to the "road" tax money these past decades?

 

Lost down the back of the sofa or something no doubt.

[rml2345]

Road tax money disappeared. Did someone say banking crisis?

If they go private, we should all chip in for a dual carriageway... The Autoshite Expressway has a nice ring to it...

[Quintus]

It'll probably be a complete disaster.

 

The government could sell off all the roads, which will eventually come under the banner of one large entity, which could be called something like...erm...Roadtrack. Roadtrack will 'maintain' the roads to such exacting standards that that there will be a number of high profile accidents involving many fatalities, which probably could've been prevented by proper maintenance. Suddenly everyone will realise that our roads are in a bit of a state, leading to a blanket speed restriction of 20mph across the entire national whole road network. As a result of the massive delays and accidents, Roadtrack has to pay out huge amounts in compensation, plunging them to a massive loss.

 

After about 17 years of chronic mismangement and feathering their own nests, Roadtrack is placed into administration, a new company is formed, the taxpayer gets shafted etc, etc, etc

[eddyramrod]

It'll probably be a complete disaster. ..... the taxpayer gets shafted

 

You know what the real problem is? "They" will keep doing this shit, believing they can get away with it, because they fail to realise that "we" have rumbled them! But apart from having a revolution and lining the feckers up against the wall, what can we do? "Normal" attempts to deal with them are totally ineffective.

[morris_ital_lover]

Indeed, it's both of the parties that don't quite seem to realise that nobody wants to pay for their stupid shite anymore and that ridiculous overspends and waste of money aren't welcome at all when we've got to tighten our belts. Cameron does seem to be slightly too Thatcherite in his penchant for privitising everything but Labour have been responsible for some equally stuppid transport shite (see IEP).

 

The basic idea of getting private firms to pay for, run and take the profits from, the road network upgrade projects isn't that bad an idea especially when the work is needed and Whitehall won't spend. Itt's just that they'll over do it and then it'll collapse in a ball of mismanagement.

 

Were autoshite to become a road provider could we make the lanes in the colours of autoshite all across the land...? think of the brown, beige and orange beauty that you;d be able to survey whilst cruising along the empty M4 in your toll free Talbot Tagora.

[vulgalour]

But I never travel on the M4 and don't have a Tagora.

 

That settles it, I'm going to make my own private road company except it'll have

 

 

In fact, forget about the private road company.

[M'coli]

Now, if these private companies make their profit by charging individuals to use the road, then who pays for policing these roads? If, for example, there's an accident that closes the road which prevents people using the roads, and hence it not being profit-making in that time, will the private firm be able to make an insurance claim for loss of earnings? Conversely, if for example the road is not gritted properly and accidents occur, will there be a clause in the roaduser's "contract" with the private company for the use of the road that the "supplier" will not be liable for any mishaps or loss due to "unforseen circumstances"?

[Ross_K]

Now, if these private companies make their profit by charging individuals to use the road, then who pays for policing these roads?

 

The taxpayer does, just like any other road. It's not private, just privatised. The Road Traffic Act still applies. The road is built using public and private money - the private party is contracted to operate the road and is given X amount of years to make their money back.

 

If, for example, there's an accident that closes the road which prevents people using the roads, and hence it not being profit-making in that time, will the private firm be able to make an insurance claim for loss of earnings?

 

Look at the earthquakes in Japan last year. The toll roads around Fukishima were repaired in six days as the toll operator was losing money every minute the roads were unusable. You'd imagine that there would be insurance to cover that kind of reconstruction, or a clause that party X or party Y covers the cost.

 

 

Conversely, if for example the road is not gritted properly and accidents occur, will there be a clause in the roaduser's "contract" with the private company for the use of the road that the "supplier" will not be liable for any mishaps or loss due to "unforseen circumstances"?

 

That's what you've got insurance for.

[M'coli]

I'd love to have such an optimistic view of it!

[Ross_K]

Well yeah, thats the theory.

 

Here in the third world all of our new dual-carriageways, sorry "motorways", are tolled.

 

You can tell corners were cut. Lanes are narrower than normal, no armco - american style concrete divider along the median, no services

 

The only efficiencies I can see are in the collection of tolls..

[willswitchengage]

Somehow I think privatised roads should be the least of our worries right now. Oh well, glad I bought those Circle health shares.

 

http://upthear.se/al1

[blguy1975]

I feel that If this happens ,It will be total S***e , everthing else that was Privatised in the past has now all gon horribly wrong and the British Public are paying the Price ( Water, Rail,Gas,Buses, ) .

 

I think that If this plan does come off ,then I will move to Spain

 

 

Matt

[Pete-M]

I think that If this plan does come off ,then I will move to Spain

 

Aye, the Spanish know how to do toll roads

 

Toll roads aren't all that bad if they're done the way the Germans do 'em. Charge lorries, let cars go for free.