A Conflict of Interest

The most brazen way to try and have it both ways is to be in a conflict of interest situation.  This is usually frowned upon.  However, often the most blatant forms of conflict of interest are carried out by different levels of government. 

One of the prime examples of this is the case of city governments that own public transportation systems.  Because these systems are often money losers, the city must cover the large losses.  They must also build and maintain the infrastructure for the transportation system, including buses-only expressways, light rail systems, stations and bus shelters.  It is therefore in the best interests of the cities to “push” public transit as the way to travel.  Cities spend large sums of money advertising the advantages of this mode of travel.  And they seem to do everything in their power to discourage any other mode of travel.

On the other hand, there are many reasons why people do and have to use alternate modes, especially cars.  Paratranspo services are rigidly scheduled and leave almost no room for impulsive trips.  And of course, paratranspo is only available to those who are disabled.  Taxis are expensive and are used mostly by workers and travellers to get around town (usually at company expense).  And of course, taxis are automobiles.  That leaves the most popular and widely used alternate mode of transportation, the car.

There are many reasons why cars are still used so extensively.  Convenience, the lack of realistic alternatives, the need to convey more than can be carried by hand, and comfort are the most common reasons.  Even for working people, their jobs may require them to have a car available for work use.  Can you imagine a real estate agent asking prospective home buyers to take the bus from house to house?  It may work in the inner city, but is unlikely to be popular in other venues. 

So given the current state of public transportation and of other alternatives, the automobile is still seen as a necessity for most people.  This is why the auto industry is such a key part of the economy. 

So where is the conflict of interest I was talking about?  It arises because the cities are owners of the public transportation systems as well as being responsible for the building and upkeep of roads.  When it comes to spending public money, they have to choose whether to favour one versus the other.  And in their quest to lose less money for public transportation and denigrate other modes, one of their tools is to make automobile travel as unpalatable as possible.  This effort can include such tactics as lack of maintenance of roads that are not used by buses, not building or expanding roads that would help to alleviate traffic congestion, or imposing excessively slow speed limits and other obstacles in the name of traffic “calming” on major arteries.  I’m sure that all of you city dwellers have seen these things in your city. 

So get used to cities trying to have it both ways – control of roads and ownership of public transportation.  As people complain more and more about taxes, the situation is only going to get worse.  If you need a car, or are a car lover, the road is going to get bumpier.