Cameron wants to privatise roads (again)
Discussion
Just seen on the news Osborne was out running this morning.
He was wearing his freebie ALAMO t-shirt (from his recent trip to Texas for all the media people who wondered where he got it from and was there any significance to it).
The Alamo...
That's it.
Cameron and Osborne's last stand.
Privatise this, privatise that, then off to the EU in 2016 for a nice cushy number each.
He was wearing his freebie ALAMO t-shirt (from his recent trip to Texas for all the media people who wondered where he got it from and was there any significance to it).
The Alamo...
That's it.
Cameron and Osborne's last stand.
Privatise this, privatise that, then off to the EU in 2016 for a nice cushy number each.
The autoroutes in France are run by private companies and they're ruddy brilliant. It took me more time to get from Folkestone to the M25 on our crappy road network than it did to cross the entire breadth of France after our last Euro hoon!
The problem is, there's no money left. While Bliar distracted you with his wars and being a 'regular sort of guy', Winky was emptying your wallet and hosing the cash at the public sector. Being the public sector most of this cash ended up being peed up the wall and now 13 years on we have sweet feck all to show for it. If we had world class education, railways to rival the Swiss, roads smooth enough to play billiards on, broadband quicker than Concorde and kids leaving school quoting shakespeare then it would have been worth it, but sadly we ain't.
Winky and his cohorts have hamstrung us for a generation. Dave and Georgie Boy are trying to create an agenda for growth with nothing in the cupboard but a bit of string and some belly button fluff. The only way to pay for these big road projects is for the private sector to get involved. If they work as well as those in Fance then I'd be happy.
The problem is, there's no money left. While Bliar distracted you with his wars and being a 'regular sort of guy', Winky was emptying your wallet and hosing the cash at the public sector. Being the public sector most of this cash ended up being peed up the wall and now 13 years on we have sweet feck all to show for it. If we had world class education, railways to rival the Swiss, roads smooth enough to play billiards on, broadband quicker than Concorde and kids leaving school quoting shakespeare then it would have been worth it, but sadly we ain't.
Winky and his cohorts have hamstrung us for a generation. Dave and Georgie Boy are trying to create an agenda for growth with nothing in the cupboard but a bit of string and some belly button fluff. The only way to pay for these big road projects is for the private sector to get involved. If they work as well as those in Fance then I'd be happy.
AndrewW-G said:
hornetrider said:
Cameron is turning out to be a massive disappointment tbh.
The argument is that it's due to working in a coalition . . . . I've got to the point where I dont believe that at all.UKIP will be getting my vote next time
And also, let's not forget that this lot also want to lift development restrictions on brownfield sites, and grant 95% mortgages to FTBs. If CMD wants to implement more green initiatives, why doesn't he start by restricting the birthrate that's artificially inflated by over-generous benefits? Or by policing points of immigration more closely? Or even by encouraging people to live together as families?
Nope, not going to happen. This shower aren't as bad as Labour surely would have been, but I can't see they're much better! The envy thing is sickening at the moment, too - earn more than the minimum wage and you're labelled "rich" and viewed as the scum of society.
CMD has lost my vote, well and truly. He can have it back when he stops dipping his hand in my pocket every minute of every day. I'd like to keep a little bit of what I earn, please, if that's not too much to ask?
bennyboydurham said:
Winky and his cohorts have hamstrung us for a generation. Dave and Georgie Boy are trying to create an agenda for growth with nothing in the cupboard but a bit of string and some belly button fluff. The only way to pay for these big road projects is for the private sector to get involved. If they work as well as those in Fance then I'd be happy.
Very true. And likewise, if they work well then I think they'd be a good idea. But you can just hear the NIMBYs sharpening their pencils in eager anticipation of the moment the routes are announced.Edited by SGirl on Monday 19th March 12:15
I thought the Government raised billions and billions through VED and duty/vat on fuel?
Next time you are driving down the motorway count the trucks coming the other way over say a mile, then think each one costs 300-500 to fill and i think the VED on a truck is about 2000 a year.
Why do they need more money?
What the hell are the highways agency and VOSA for that cost billions each year.
The mind boggles it really does.
tax tax tax tax, charge us more money, that always seems to be the answer.
CMD is a HUGE let down to me.
Next time you are driving down the motorway count the trucks coming the other way over say a mile, then think each one costs 300-500 to fill and i think the VED on a truck is about 2000 a year.
Why do they need more money?
What the hell are the highways agency and VOSA for that cost billions each year.
The mind boggles it really does.
tax tax tax tax, charge us more money, that always seems to be the answer.
CMD is a HUGE let down to me.
One thing really bugs me about this.
There will inevitably be big fat subsidies for private companies but, despite the govt's talk of independent regulation, I suspect there won't be anything stopping cpmp[anies siphoning off the cash from this to fund their other activities.
I give you a case in point from the rail network: a major shareholder in the company that operates the trans-Pennine franchise is one that is controlled by SNCF, the French state railway company.
Trans-Pennine gets a mahoosive subsidy from government, and much of the 'profit' form this is ploughed, however indirectly, into SNCF. The upshot? You and me and every other taxpayer is helping to fund the French rail network.
Do we want that repeated on the roads?
There will inevitably be big fat subsidies for private companies but, despite the govt's talk of independent regulation, I suspect there won't be anything stopping cpmp[anies siphoning off the cash from this to fund their other activities.
I give you a case in point from the rail network: a major shareholder in the company that operates the trans-Pennine franchise is one that is controlled by SNCF, the French state railway company.
Trans-Pennine gets a mahoosive subsidy from government, and much of the 'profit' form this is ploughed, however indirectly, into SNCF. The upshot? You and me and every other taxpayer is helping to fund the French rail network.
Do we want that repeated on the roads?
hornetrider said:
davepoth said:
The private roads we do have in this country, aside from the M6 toll, do seem to work quite well. The Severn Bridges for example, which are pretty close to me.
Define 'work well'. Crossing over is 6 quid a pop.Riggers said:
One thing really bugs me about this.
There will inevitably be big fat subsidies for private companies but, despite the govt's talk of independent regulation, I suspect there won't be anything stopping cpmp[anies siphoning off the cash from this to fund their other activities.
I give you a case in point from the rail network: a major shareholder in the company that operates the trans-Pennine franchise is one that is controlled by SNCF, the French state railway company.
Trans-Pennine gets a mahoosive subsidy from government, and much of the 'profit' form this is ploughed, however indirectly, into SNCF. The upshot? You and me and every other taxpayer is helping to fund the French rail network.
Do we want that repeated on the roads?
Same with power generation & distribution. If we can't have any of our own national assets then frankly I'd rather my money went to the French state than some monstrous PFI creation only nominally based in the UK.There will inevitably be big fat subsidies for private companies but, despite the govt's talk of independent regulation, I suspect there won't be anything stopping cpmp[anies siphoning off the cash from this to fund their other activities.
I give you a case in point from the rail network: a major shareholder in the company that operates the trans-Pennine franchise is one that is controlled by SNCF, the French state railway company.
Trans-Pennine gets a mahoosive subsidy from government, and much of the 'profit' form this is ploughed, however indirectly, into SNCF. The upshot? You and me and every other taxpayer is helping to fund the French rail network.
Do we want that repeated on the roads?
Who said the DFT are short on money?
http://www.shropshirestar.com/money/uk-money/2012/...
They just didnt spend it!
VED adds more to the coffers than the DFT spend on our road network, so its nothing to do with money. Maybe the DFT need to create some more jobs and look at better ways to invest the money.
Privatising will just reduce the control the general public have on our infastructure.
Utility companies are ever increasing prices, and there profit margins but we are starting to see an increase in blackouts and water shortages... Sounds like a disaster and it its not getting my vote.
http://www.shropshirestar.com/money/uk-money/2012/...
They just didnt spend it!
VED adds more to the coffers than the DFT spend on our road network, so its nothing to do with money. Maybe the DFT need to create some more jobs and look at better ways to invest the money.
Privatising will just reduce the control the general public have on our infastructure.
Utility companies are ever increasing prices, and there profit margins but we are starting to see an increase in blackouts and water shortages... Sounds like a disaster and it its not getting my vote.
diddly69 said:
This is the price to pay after years of Labour neglect of the UK road network whilst they squandered all our money away on many pointless things like giving millions away to the eurozone. I look forward to seeing the lifelines of the UK given some care and maintenance from now on
Was this generated automatically?Tory chap on the radio today explained it like this:
Private company takes a lease for, say, 20 years on a road.
The government will pay them from taxes, according to how many cars use the road.
So that company has a guaranteed income stream.
...which they can use as collateral to borrow money
...which they will use to upgrade the road.
In addition they'll make a profit, so all we're doing is outsourcing some borrowing, for which we will have to pay more than if the government borrowed it themselves.
Another PFI-style off-the-books frig, which will cost more than if the govt just got a clue and prioritised spending.
Private company takes a lease for, say, 20 years on a road.
The government will pay them from taxes, according to how many cars use the road.
So that company has a guaranteed income stream.
...which they can use as collateral to borrow money
...which they will use to upgrade the road.
In addition they'll make a profit, so all we're doing is outsourcing some borrowing, for which we will have to pay more than if the government borrowed it themselves.
Another PFI-style off-the-books frig, which will cost more than if the govt just got a clue and prioritised spending.
They don't need extra lanes to improve traffic flow, they need to teach people how to use lanes correctly.
However these private companies could open themselves up to huge numbers of claims and large expense if they refuse then have to defend themselves to an ombudsman/in court.
Lots of money for lawyers to make here.
Shame common sense seems to be getting less common.
However these private companies could open themselves up to huge numbers of claims and large expense if they refuse then have to defend themselves to an ombudsman/in court.
Lots of money for lawyers to make here.
Shame common sense seems to be getting less common.
The only miniscule plus point to a scheme like this that I can see.....is that it's a lot easier to make a Private Company accountable than it is a Government/ Public body.
The threat of Mass legal action against a Private company for damage induced to cars due to poor road conditions might be enough to actually make sure they keep the roads in a decent condition.
I won't be holding my breath though.
The threat of Mass legal action against a Private company for damage induced to cars due to poor road conditions might be enough to actually make sure they keep the roads in a decent condition.
I won't be holding my breath though.
bennyboydurham said:
The autoroutes in France are run by private companies and they're ruddy brilliant.
Except we have twice as much traffic density and half as much spare space for new autoroute-style toll roads. It would be lovely if we could have a motorway network like the autoroutes, but it simply isn't feasible.And O/T I know, but:
bennyboydurham said:
If we had kids leaving school quoting shakespeare
We do, don't we?? Seem to remember doing quite a lot of Shakespeare at school.... 
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