Hi all,
as Kenneth Davidson pointed out repeatedly, last in yesterday's The Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/why-tunnel-vision-will-cost-all-victorians…
the building of the East West tunnel for an overall price of 15+
billion dollars will cripple Victoria's ability to tackle transport
woes for a decade or more.
Just recently Terry Mulder, minister for transport, abandoned his
former support of the Metro Rail in favour of the toll tunnel. It just
adds another episode to the decade of procrastination and favouritism
of private interests by both sides of politics.
As Kenneth Davidson pointed out:
"The only defence against bad government now is outraged public opinion."
Here is a recently launched campaign to support rails not toll roads:
http://TrainsNotTollroads.com.au
Personally, I see the need for the Metro rail tunnel every day, as a
commuter on the Northern lines coming through North Melbourne and
Southern Cross.
More often than not the train stops before North Melbourne and then
before Southern Cross, making a two stop journey from Macaulay or
Kensington a 20 minute ride. The most common announcement: congestion
by the combined traffic, including V/Line trains, coming into North
Melbourne and then to the city.
An airport train? Forget it as long as you don't have the North
Melbourne corridor cleared. The same happens for trains coming from
the South East frequently standing in the Federation Square area.
Politicians have failed Melbourne for the last dozen years at least
(the time I am living here), it is time to build public pressure.
Please stand up, don't be quiet sheep that vote every few years
according to colour preferences, start to make a difference, start to
make _your_ representatives work!
Any ideas to build pressure is welcome. We are gambling away
Melbourne's future if not.
Regards
Peter