Melbourne Considering Tolls To Use a Railway Crossing
I kid you not – dead serious here. Apparently this Melbourne Committee wants to “privatise” railway crossings by tolling them and allowing apparent redevelopment around the crossing (or rather ex-crossing).
From The Age:
Tolls weighed to meet level-crossing costs
- Date September 11, 2012 – 9:40AM
Melburnians would pay tolls to use railway level crossings redeveloped under a plan to improve the city’s traffic snarls under a proposal by the Committee for Melbourne.
The committee will today launch a report, Moving Melbourne, which details different ways Victoria could privatise the city’s level crossings.
It has already presented the report to a number of ministers in the Baillieu government.
The Committee’s head, Kate Roffey, told the Australian Financial Review that while they may be unpopular, it was necessary to start discussing funding options, which could include charging a levy and selling development rights on properties in the immediate area.
While Auckland has its share of level crossing to remove to improve the efficiency of traffic flows (especially on the Western Line and Takanini) I wonder of our politicians would be that brave or foolhardy enough to propose something like Melbourne is doing.
Hmm a $2 toll to cross a railway crossing… Don’t think that would go down to well with Aucklanders…
Wait I should not give our resident prude – The Mayor Len Brown ideas. Whoops…
