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Craig Hall

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Any one for free public transport

In the UK we spend £6 billion on subsidies to the train and bus companies. If we add 1p on income tax we could raise a further £5 billion giving us a grand total of £11 billion a year to spend on infrastructure and transport and provide free public transport.
Not only would we create real jobs and growth, but it would eleviate congestion leading to cleaner air. Reduce road traffic accidents, increase disposable income to the poorest, after all we are being taxed to get to work and back. Can you imagine coal mine workers being charged to travel down the mine shafts.
It would also increase the chances of reducing our carbon emissions, it's a win win.

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    edward long 100+

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    Feb 22 2013: Win. Win for Socialism. What about the other ideology? You know the one I mean. . . Free Enterprise/Capitalism. You think the government collecting tax money is the best way to provide mass transportation? When was the last time you saw the government do anything more efficiently, and more profitably than a privately owned company? There are a few things (national defense, interstate commerce) we should allow our government to do, but far fewer than we are now allowing. Government is rarely the best answer. Efficient, affordable service and products come from competition, not from government monopolies.

    • Craig Hall

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      Feb 22 2013: Edward, I'm not talking about ideologies I'm talking about a policy.
      If I was looking for someone to manage my business I wouldn't organise a popularity contest to ensure I had the best candidate.
      Our local council run a multimillion pound business and to qualify, win a popularity contest in the local wards. At national level it's not much different so it's no wonder a lot of money is wasted. That is why Governments aren't capable of coming up with the right answers.
      "Efficient, affordable service and products come from competition"
      Not always the case, take a look at the banks, supermarkets, insurance sector, oil companies, mobile phone companies, most of these resemble cosy cartels.
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        edward long 100+

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        Feb 22 2013: Do you really think you would be paying the same for any of the products and services you (seemingly happily) list as examples of failed Free Enterprise competition if they were provided by a government monopoly? Don't think that because prices are about the same everywhere means there is no competition. You actually are talking about ideologies sir. Your idea is for "free" (which is impossible) mass transit paid for (what happened to free?) with tax dollars and administered by the government. That is about as ideological as talk can get. Every answer you get will be based on the ideology of the responder. For the most part Socialists will say yea, and Capitalists will say nay. I shout NAY!

        • Craig Hall

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          Feb 23 2013: My proposal is merely to address a problem our politicians choose to ignore. Gridlock is an issue and I'm merely pointing out the merits of free public transport. It isn't strictly true to state it as free, but you do understand the thrust of it.
          Our Western Capitalist model does not work for the majority and has a tendency to encourage bad behaviour. Just because our Governments are poorly managed right now, it shouldn't be used to write off future projects with better management.

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