Government roading plans ‘insane’ – expert

Increasing spending on roading projects during a global oil crisis is like attempting to put out a fire with petrol, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson said today: “All the experts agree: the cheap oil is gone and isn’t coming back, yet our government is acting as if nothing has changed.”

The Government intends to increase spending on new state highways but cut or freeze funding for alternatives like rail or public transport.

Matthew-Wilson believes that the government’s roading plans are largely driven by the trucking industry, which was a major contributor to political parties at the last election, but pays nothing towards the cost of building new roads.

“Investing in road instead of rail during a global energy crisis is simply insane. The government’s own figures show that transporting goods by rail is over five times more efficient than transporting goods by truck.”

Matthew-Wilson doubts that new roads will solve traffic congestion.
“For the last three decades governments have been building new roads in order to solve traffic congestion, and in most cases the congestion has only become worse.”
“We need to rethink the whole process of transportation instead of trying to patch a sinking ship. The government’s own figures show that the current road-based transport system is unsustainable, yet the government wants to expand this system.”

“We need to start using cars and trucks for the tasks they are best at: making special trips on empty roads. The rest of our transport needs are best met in other ways. In a world of high oil prices, the government’s current strategy is a recipe for disaster.”

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