A new light rail transit network is being built in my region and it’s a public-private partnership; the REM in Montreal.The contract guarantees profits to the private investment firm, paid by the taxes collected for public transit, while forbidding public transit to compete with the private system. The core of the private system was built by taking the most popular and profitable line of a public commuter rail line, and giving it to the private investor.
This will slowly cannibalize the public side by having less and less money for big public projects, and by funneling a big chunk of it to the private company. The private can compete with the public, and take its money with royalties, but the public cannot compete with the private, and pays royalties.
It’s absolutely unfair and makes big transit projects only possible if there is profit in it for the private investors.
Foamers online are all fawning over the fucking REM, saying it’s a shame we didn’t build more; that one is needed in the East and another in Longueuil. But they don’t seem to realize this will only happen if the private investors can see some profit in these. It’s not about proving a needed service. No guaranteed profits, no transit.
It’s so disappointing to see YouTubers that I like say this is the best transit project of their life. Like, WTF. Now the public entity paying royalties to the REM can’t pay for commuter lines and is looking into reducing service even more, or closing some of them entirely.
What a wonderful system. A model for the world! /s
Beyond urban transit, I want public transit.
A new light rail transit network is being built in my region and it’s a public-private partnership; the REM in Montreal.The contract guarantees profits to the private investment firm, paid by the taxes collected for public transit, while forbidding public transit to compete with the private system. The core of the private system was built by taking the most popular and profitable line of a public commuter rail line, and giving it to the private investor.
This will slowly cannibalize the public side by having less and less money for big public projects, and by funneling a big chunk of it to the private company. The private can compete with the public, and take its money with royalties, but the public cannot compete with the private, and pays royalties.
It’s absolutely unfair and makes big transit projects only possible if there is profit in it for the private investors.
Foamers online are all fawning over the fucking REM, saying it’s a shame we didn’t build more; that one is needed in the East and another in Longueuil. But they don’t seem to realize this will only happen if the private investors can see some profit in these. It’s not about proving a needed service. No guaranteed profits, no transit.
It’s so disappointing to see YouTubers that I like say this is the best transit project of their life. Like, WTF. Now the public entity paying royalties to the REM can’t pay for commuter lines and is looking into reducing service even more, or closing some of them entirely.
What a wonderful system. A model for the world! /s
very true, so many public transport systems run by the private sector into the ground