Goverment to sell off Roads ?

Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Officials argue that the water industry shows what can be done when private sector companies are rewarded for maintaining and improving important infrastructure.
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This would be the water industry that loses 3.5 billion litres of water every day through poorly maintained pipes while still making hundreds of millions in profit annually, presumably?

Quite the role model.
 
henryscat

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Its a completely bonkers to completely hand control of any roads to the private sector. The M6 Toll hasn't exactly been a raging financial success....

The private sector already builds and maintains roads under contract to either the Highways Agency or local authorities. There's no advantage whatsoever in further involvement of the private sector. If responsibility for funding roads was handed over via some kind of PFI arrangement then costs will rise since the government can provide capital more cheaply than can the private sector.
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Considering that every other privatisation of infrastructure in the country that I can think of has been an expensive failure, I can't see why this would somehow work.

He also stated it would only apply to Highways Agency roads- or approximately 3% of roads in this country. What's the bleeding point?
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Toble said:
It ammuses me that the watchdog is called OffRoad.

LET'S OFF ROAD!
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I imagine it's a fatalistic realisation that within a few years the roads will be so shite any journey will be akin to off-roading.

Buy your shares in Land Rover now.
 
A

andy w

Well-Known Forumite
Sucsessive governments over the past 40 years have failed to invest in the infrastructure. Compare the investment in public works in france with a modern high speed rail network, modern nuclear power stations and an extensive motorway network( it has to be noted that alot are toll roads). We should have started our HSR network back in the seventies but when governments get into money difficulties capitol spending is cut. Sadly the private sector has failed to achieve much when it has ventured into projects mainly due to short termism of the shareholders.
We should keep open minds for public/private partnerships and plan for the long term.
 
A

andy w

Well-Known Forumite
Withnail said:
Compare income tax and general taxation rates in France while you're about it. Then adopt them, and take them to a British electorate...
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Yes that is the nub of the problem in this country, we want USA tax rates with European levels of state provision and spending.
 
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