Monorail Madness

So now we're going to build a monorail. Doh! If it's not a monorail, it's another mega freeway tunnel. Another toy for the boys. Surely they could just buy themselves an iPhone and while away the hours playing with that. No doubt they'll want to build it on a PPP and not have to actually pay for it. They'll leave that to us. Another monument to the pollies. It's time to stand up and say NO. No, no no!

We don't need monumental self serving monster projects. We need a whole bunch of sensible, human scale, coordinated efforts to create a really great transport system. A few ideas straight off the wish list would be:

• Buy some new trains, preferably build the capacity to make them here because we're going to need a whole bunch more of the suckers.
• Build the Doncaster Rail Line
• Extend the Epping Line
• Electrify the line out to the far southern suburbs
• Design in properly engineered bike lanes to all new or redeveloped roads.
• Clean the shoulders.
• Educate drivers about cyclists.
• Duplicate the rail to Bendigo (ie back to the way it was)
• Put on a few actually fast trains between larger cities.
• Did I mention cleaning the road shoulders?
• Punish the drivers of big inefficient, single occupant cars. Monetary will have to do. Life imprisonment seems a little harsh, but only a little.
• Duplicate rails where necessary. Take space from cars.
• Eliminate all level crossings to reduce accidents. Make the cars go around the long way.
• Tax car entry to the CBD.
• Clean the shoulders.
• Staff train stations.
• Increase the price of petrol.
• Give government assistance to companies who want to build trains, trams and buses. Not ridiculous Aussie Family Sixes.
• Make public transport tickets tax deductible, not novated leases on Hummers.
• And for God's sake will somebody please clean the road shoulders.

Now that'd be a program worth paying taxes for.