Lord Mayor Campbell Newman seems to think that toll roads (and tunnels) are the only answer to congestion problems.
Brisbane City Council is investigating several plans to ease increasing congestion on the stretch, including a twin-lane double-decker tunnel built out into the Brisbane River.
The problem with toll roads, as experienced by the failing Clem7 tunnel, is that people just cant afford them. How can we afford to pay the proposed amount which is over $4 per visit with all the other cost of living expense rises.
Governments at all levels need to understand that the increases in the cost of living are beginning to seriously hurt people. They need to think about this before coming up with great ideas to toll all the roads leading in and out of Brisbane.
Source: Toll looming for Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade | Courier Mail
These new roads need to be treated as an investment to the city's future and not a business venture for the Government / private enterprise. The high cost of tolls are not only hitting private's back pocket but businesses even more. Small business operators are already advising their workforce to avoid the toll roads forcing them to use the routes the toll roads were designed to reduce traffic on.
ReplyDeleteToll roads, if necessary to encourage this sort of development, need to affordable for all users to encourage use, and not set at a price that suits investors.
I understand the need for private investment as the cost of building major infrastructure has blown out massively over the past few decades. But you point is well made. Private/public partnerships are now about return to shareholders rather than public infrastructure. But bottom line is it is getting extremely hard to afford all the costs which are being increased daily.
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