NSW toll roads to be E-Tag only in 2005

To say nothing of the cost of collection.

Theo

 

No the buzz word (phrase) is "risk mitigation"

JL
Which translates as "make damn sure it ain't MY fault when the shit hits
the fan"

 

Paulh, it's a toll road, not a troll road, ffs!

 

One of the reasons we decided to leave Victoria was the corporatisation and
privatisation of public utilities.

The track record of the Kennett regime in grossly undervaluing public assets
when putting them up for sale was beautifully emphasised by the stag profits
made by the intial investors.

The fact that many of the purchasers subsequently sold for a lot less than
they paid was both a source of delight and a confirmation that
Thatcherite/Reaganite economics could fail in Australia as they did in the
US and UK.

Service companies struggle to survive without providing an effective
service, as the economic rationalist genii soon found. You can't provide
efffective service after you've made the prople who provided the service
redundant.

 

They'd be a lot more credible if they didn't make such statements while
fighting off the hiccupy aftermath of a gourmet business lunch paid for
by representatives of private enterprise.

That's easy... it abrogates responsibility.

Sydney's trains are government-run. They're chronically late and the
incovenience to commuters is giving the voting public a concrete reason
to have the state government.

Melbourne's trains are run by a private company. During their recent
bout of shambolic operation, the state government joined in with the
public in taking a chunk out of the operator's arse over it.

In business, I believe they call that "limiting exposure".

 

I wasn't in favour of the siege of Troy buy maybe he'll be better off at
Honda......
Clem

 

Don't have any toll roads here

Mark.

 

Noice segue back on topic

JL

 

What about those who dont have a creditcard?

--
Muiredach
'96 XV250
'Dont Loose You're Head'
22/12/04 RULP 90.9c/L @ Woolworths +, Richmond (86.9c after woolies
discount)

 

I've never voted them in but i have voted them out.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

I know some states are broke but have they really lost their credit cards?

Boxer

 

Yes, but they often turn out to be wrong.

Also, the back-out clauses in most of those contracts put the govt.
over a barrel: if the thing turns out non-profitable the govt. bails
the project out.

-----sharks

 

paulh said....

Funnily enough, it's how roads such as the Monash Freeway, Princes
Freeway, Geelong Freeway, Hume Freeway and others have been built in the
past. Hasn't destroyed the economy to date, so far as I can tell. And
people aren't paying more in taxes as a direct result of this.

And didn't this state government recently post a record surplus - enough
to fund the Mitchum/Franston "free"way, along with Fed. Govt.
assistance?

Why then, were councils around Citylink forced to inhibit traffic flow
that resulted from drivers using local roads as rat runs in order to
avoid Citylink? While Citylink is enjoying high traffic flows, it's not
because of voluntary use by the drivers on it.

And then governments get into contracts that stop them building fast
rail links between airports and city centres because of the risk of
competition to the private operators of toll roads.

In the end, it does limit the drivers' choice of routes, particularly
when they conduct business between eastern and north/western suburbs.

As for "public infrastructure", I'm not refering to just roads. I'm
talking about the services such as power, gas, public transport, and
water. They should never had been handed over to private enterprise,
which is mostly foreign based.

 

SmeeR11S said....

I realise that. I took it as a cue to jump up and down on my soap box
about the privatisation of public assets or their operation thereof.

Yep, so I've been told - until the thing dies and you get a fine as a
result of it.....

How will NSW riders go with an E-tag system? Will they be forced to use
one?

 

He'd be better off with a wooden horse.

Theo

 

It certainly looks like it.

Unlike Victoria, NSW toll plaza's take photos of vehicles avoiding the
tolls from the behind - which means the numberplate is in full view.

Anecdotal evidence indicate that even if you have a tag and it doesn't
work for whatever reason, you get charged an additional fee in some
circumstances - you certainly get charged an additional fee if you don't
have a tag and go through an E-tag only toll lane - I've already had
this one happen to me, although not on my bike.

DaZZa

 

It costs government the same to build as private. The difference is only
apparent on June 30.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

No you don't I don't know who told you that.
The battery died in our first one, I rang them and told them so.
They said to go to a citylink office (one near the westgate freeway)
and hand it in for a replacement.
The extra couple of dollars they charged for "processing" was refunded.
The media had a field day when the battery issue became a big thing but
it really is a storm in a teacup.
You don't get fined when your etag is faulty. Period!

Eventually yes.

 

Please refrain from using Americanisms in an Australian newsgroup.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

That's not an americanism. Smee is simply explaining why he sounds so
cranky.

Moike