Re: when 70% of drivers are banned from the road

On 06 Mar 2008 01:37:02 GMT, in misc.trans****t.urban-transit 
James Robinson <wascana@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
<Xns9A58D1B65FA1Cwascana212com@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:
>Free Lunch <lunch@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>> Trucks pay for a share of the road through taxes or tolls, but they do
>> have to share with others. Rail has decided that they don't want to
>> share, except through contract, so they have to pay for their own
>> dedicated routes. Tough for them. 
>
>Railroads are common carriers, and have to accept any cargo offered. 

But they are not regulated as common carriers as they were.

>They were set up that way to they have one operating/financial entity,
>and can avoid the chaos of multiple operators, which would reduce
>productivity. The competitors are the truckers.

Now we have the chaos of poor handoffs from one carrier to another.

>> We would be much better off if rail had competitive carriers on all
>> trackage and the tracks were run by a utility. 
>
>No we wouldn't.