The Road and Rail Problem Reports from countries as diverse
as France and India regarding the inability of the railways to pay their way in the face of diminishing. raffic, heavy taxation and road transport competition show that conditions in this country are in no sense peculiar to itself, though here, of course, the introduction of Protection will mean an inevitable diminution of port traffic, with no complete compensation in the internal movement of goods. The obvious remedy is better trade, but even that would leave the problem created by a rival system of transport unsolved. The Minister of Transport may be con- gratulated on his decision to appoint a strong committee to study, the whole question, but what it can do apart from working out plans of co-ordination, which may involve the taking of new compulsory powers, is not clear. Road transport is limited by the carrying capacity of the roads, but before that point is reached the railways may be well on the way to ruin. That would, no doubt, be better than bolstering them up artificially, but there is in fact work for both road and rail. -
Previous page
